Portsmouth chief’s January transfer window reveal over targets with crucial business on horizon
Rich Hughes has revealed Pompey are still on the trail of summer transfer targets with the potential for them to become live January options.
But the Blues sporting director has outlined the need for flexibility will be required, ahead of what is already shaping up to be a massive window for the club.
The onus will be on Hughes and the recruitment team now headed up by Brad Wall, to ensure John Mousinho’s team is suitably replenished for what appears will likely be a fight to stay in the Championship.
After a busy summer in which 15 new faces were brought in and 17 players departed PO4, eyes are already on what comes next from January 1.
Hughes explained there’s been extensive work put into looking at under-18 players, as an improved database of emerging talent is assembled.
And players Pompey trailed as potential summer potentials will remain under review with there potential to accelerate interest in the new year.
Hughes stated there will not be a rigid approach to business, with the requirement to nail down what is required as the months and weeks count down to the window opening.
What’s happened in the first-team set-up in recent months has underlined the need for that flexibility, though plenty of due diligence on options has already be carried out.
Speaking to the Tony Goodall Fans’ Conference, Hughes said: ‘We’ve not got specific targets in mind at this stage. We’ll home in on targets after we see where the group is at, and what the emerging needs are.
‘There are some targets from the summer we’ll keep on top of. We’ve watched a huge number of clubs and under-18 sides already this year, as scouting is a constant evolution of work.
‘We’ve changed some of our reporting systems and mechanisms this year and built our own bespoke platform to capture everything.
‘That’s been a welcome addition for the football club. There is lots of work going on behind the scenes so we can react in January.’