‘The ambition is to go to the Premier League’: The exciting factor which sealed Josh Knight’s Portsmouth move
Pompey confirmed the signing of Josh Knight from Hannover 96 for an undisclosed fee on Thursday afternoon.
Josh Knight believes Pompey is the best place to match his Premier League ambitions.
And the centre-back admitted John Mousinho was a huge selling point in making the move to Fratton Park.
The Blues landed Knight for an undisclosed fee, with reports in Germany suggesting a £1m fee had been paid to secure his services.
It represents the latest piece of business completed by Pompey, who have also captured Adrian Segecic, John Swift, Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux, Florian Bianchini and Minhyeok Yang during the summer window.
His departure from the German outfit comes just 12 months into his two-year contract following his free-transfer switch from Peterborough United in 2024.
Knight registered 24 appearances in all competitions during his sole campaign at the HDI Arena but fell down the defensive pecking order following the appointment of Christian Titz in June.
But the former Wycombe Wanderers loanee is back in England and bolsters Mousinho’s defensive ranks, linking up with Regan Poole, Hayden Matthews, Conor Shaughnessy and Ibane Bowat at the heart of the backline.
And the Leicester City academy graduate has lifted the lid as to why he chose Fratton Park as the next destination of his career.
Josh Knight reveals why he chose Pompey
Speaking on arrival, Knight told the club’s in-house media: ‘I’m delighted to be here. It’s a new chapter for me and my family and I can’t wait to get going.
‘It’s been tough, I’ll be honest. I had to move my whole life back to England and commuting last night was difficult but I’m here now and I’m excited.
‘It’s a big club. If you don’t want to play for this club and the ambition, the direction it’s going, then it would be stupid not to do what I can to be here.
‘It was the style. The gaffer showed me how I’d fit in the plans and the way he plays suits me. That’s one reason and the other reason is the fanbase. It’s a big club and playing at Fratton Park, I know how difficult it can be coming here, so I’m excited to play in front of them fans.
‘The last couple of weeks I’ve heard bits but nothing set in stone and I had a meeting with the gaffer last week. You’ve the style and the way the club is going suits me and where I am in my career. That’s why I chose here.
‘I feel like the club is going in the right direction, did well in the Championship last season and hoping we can improve on it and I want to be at a club and the ambition is to go to the Premier League.
‘I feel what we’ve got here and how I’ve heard the facilities and everything has changed, that really excited me. It’s a good project and I’m happy to be apart of it.’
Josh Knight’s career so far
Prior to his Pompey move, the centre-back had started his career before outstanding loan stints with Peterborough and Wycombe Wanderers.
The defender sealed a permanent switch to London Road in 2021, which saw his stock rise during an impressive three-year stay with Posh.
That earned Knight a move to Germany with Hannover after turning down a lucrative deal to remain with Darren Ferguson’s League One side.
Despite a successful maiden campaign in 2.Bundesliga, he was made available for transfer after falling down the pecking order under new boss Titz. Knight has since penned a three-year deal at Fratton Park, which will run until 2028.