'One of the best in Football League': Ex-Portsmouth and Sunderland man handed huge accolade after 'substantial' transfer

A Pompey Academy graduate has been hailed as one of the Football League’s ‘best performing goalkeepers’ after completing a switch to Peterborough.

Alex Bass has today joined the League One club from Notts County for a ‘substantial six figure deal’, according to Posh owner Darragh MacAnthony.

The 27-year-old has signed a three-year deal at London Road after catching the eye during an impressive League Two season with the Magpies.

The goalkeeper from Fair Oak, who made 41 appearances for Pompey after progressing through their ranks, was a star performer as Notts County lost in the play-off semi-finals to AFC Wimbledon.

‘Delighted’

Now, after 12 months at Meadow Lane, he has moved to Peterborough in a deal which pleased MacAnthony.

The Posh’s owner posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘It's been over a decade since we invested a substantial transfer fee on a goalkeeper. Delighted that we have acquired one of the best performing GK’s over last couple of seasons in the EFL as our New No 1 in a substantial six figure deal.’

Bass made his Pompey debut as an 18-year-old in a Carabao Cup clash at Coventry in August 2016 under Paul Cook, with the visitors losing 3-2 in extra-time.

He would have to wait another 21 months for his Football League debut, which ironically arrived against Peterborough in May 2018 on the final day of the 2017-18 campaign.

Kenny Jackett later handed Bass a run in the first-team in the second half of the 2019-20 season, which ended up being curtailed by Covid.

However, with the League One play-offs still taking place, he started both legs of the semi-final aggregate defeat to Oxford United, with Jackett preferring the youngster over Craig MacGillivray.

Yet having fallen out of favour under Danny Cowley, Bass was sold to Championship side Sunderland in July 2022, where he featured twice in two years.

Yet there was a successful loan spell at Wimbledon in 2023-24, where he made 48 appearances, before joining Notts County for an undisclosed fee last summer.

Peterborough boss: An important signing for us

Peterborough boss Ferguson told the official club website: ‘Alex is a good age for a goalkeeper, we have kept an eye on him for a while. The chairman has managed to get the deal done with Notts County and the player was really keen on joining us.

‘Obviously it was an area that we have been looking at since Jed Steer left the club. I believe he will be a really good signing, he has a good presence, a good size, is mobile and outstanding with his feet.

‘He is an important signing for us, we have already brought in some players in areas that we needed to fill, we are getting there with other areas, but the goalkeeper is a key position to fill.

‘In terms of his data, he’s in the top three for everything, so that is always encouraging. He played a lot of games last season too. It is brilliant that he is now ours, it is not a loan signing, he has agreed a long-term contract. I am delighted and can't wait to work with him.’

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