'Significant financial offers': Andy Cullen defends Portsmouth transfer window spending after Michael Eisner backing
The Blues spent transfer fees on two players in the January transfer window
Andy Cullen is adamant Pompey’s January spending power was never reliant on the sale of Callum Lang.
And the chief executive points to the pursuit of Dundee’s Luke Graham and Sheffield Wednesday's Svante Ingelsson as proof that owners Tornante were financially backing the Blues regardless.
In a busy end to their transfer business, the Blues tabled bids for the in-demand pair, although both attempts proved unsuccessful after remaining with their parent clubs.
Those approaches were made long before the protracted departure of Lang on deadline day, with Preston paying a club record fee in excess of £2m for the 27-year-old.
Of Pompey’s seven January recruits, only Ebou Adams (£500,000) and Madiodio Dia (£600,000) involved transfer fees.
But Cullen insists the Blues were never dependent on cashing in on Lang in order to drive transfer window business, with chairman Michael Eisner providing financial assistance.
‘It wouldn’t have prevented other bids’
He told The News: ‘Unfortunately with the Callum Lang one, that came late in terms of what we did. However, we were really active over the two weeks prior to Callum leaving. Had he stayed, it wouldn’t have prevented other bids which were made. It was completely outside of that.
‘We actually had money to spend prior to Callum going, we spent some of it. We were able to make significant financial offers for more than one player elsewhere and we didn’t lose out on those players.
‘Equally, we ended up in a situation where clubs just didn’t want to sell and then you are talking ridiculous prices - and we are the same.
‘We were in pole position in terms of our offers. They were two of the players we were after - and we could have signed both of them for the extra money given to us by the owners - but, ultimately, the clubs wouldn’t sell at the end of the day.
‘With one, even when we got close to a price which we believed was indicated to us, they then raised the stakes again. They quite clearly didn’t want to sell. That’s fine, that’s the nature of the January window.
‘There’s another player, I won't say who it was, you can work it out, who didn't want to move for personal reasons and that was another reason.
‘Then where do you go after that? Do you just buy somebody for the sake of buying them? Well no, because it’s a waste of money.
‘You’ve always got different options on the table and we were in a position on Monday where we could instead exercise some of those players. It was okay, we are not going to do that, so we’re going to do something else.’
Seven transfer window recruits for Pompey
In addition to splashing out on Adams and Dia, Pompey brought in free agent Keshi Anderson, following his mutually-agreed departure from Birmingham.
There were also four loan arrivals; Millenic Alli (Luton), Aji Alese (Sunderland), Gustavo Caballero (Santos) and Jacob Brown (Luton).
On the flip side, Minhyeok Yang was recalled by Spurs earlier in the window and loaned to Coventry, while Tom McIntyre left by mutual consent, having not featured for more than 13 months.
In addition, there was the exit of Lang, with Mousinho’s parting shot involving revealing the attacker had put in a transfer request and stating Pompey ‘will never be bullied by players’.
Cullen added: ‘What I want to say is we were very well supported during this window in terms of having resources available and to do something we really wanted to do, but not at silly prices.
‘We would never do that, we try to act responsibly as executives of the football club, we respect the money we are given.
‘There's more scope to do that in the summer in terms of players you recruit than there is in January and that enables us to start really, really thinking positively about Summer 2026.
‘We have gone in for players this window and it might be a different proposition for targeting those same players in the summer.’