Reported former Portsmouth target told he can leave League One strugglers for free

Ali Koiki - a player who supposedly had former Blues boss Danny Cowley among his many admirers in the past as well as current Fratton Park head coach John Mousinho - has been told he can leave League One Northampton Town for free upon the expiry of his contract.

The 25-year-old is one of 11 players boss Kevin Nolan is prepared to move forward without after the Cobblers made public their retained list following the conclusion of their latest season.

Koiki’s inclusion is considered something of a surprise in some circles, given the time he’s served at Sixfields and the stock he had built up following his move from Bristol Rovers in 2021.

However, after signing a new two-year deal in 2023 - the same summer Pompey were last linked with his services - the defender has made just 16 league appearances for Northampton.

A series of injuries have prevented him from putting a serious run of games together, with a long-term muscle complaint and a thigh problem limiting the full-back to just five third-tier outings during the 2024-25 campaign.

The decision was therefore taken not to extend his Sixfields stay beyond June, with Nolan keen to build a squad that can improve on this term’s 19th-place finish and their recent flirtations with a return to League Two football.

Ali Koiki’s past Pompey links

Pompey’s initial interest in Koiki emerged in March 2022, with Cowley supposedly impressed with the defender’s contributions as Northampton reached the League Two play-offs without going on to secure promotion.

No move materialised that summer, though, as January signing Denver Hume was given his chance to compete with Connor Ogilvie for the Blues’ left-back berth.

Meanwhile, Koiki’s name reportedly re-emerged onto the Blues’ wanted list in Mousinho’s first full transfer window in 2023, after he replaced Cowley as boss in January of that year.

After helping the Cobblers secure a return to League One, the full-back was being touted for a move to a bigger club, with Bolton and Aberdeen also credited with an interest.

But as he signed a new two-year deal with Northampton, Pompey had strengthened their ranks with a move for Jack Sparkes - a player who went on to feature 38 times in the Blues’ historic 2023-24 title--winning season.

In the aftermath of that promotion back to the Championship, Sparkes was sold to Peterborough United last summer, while Aussie Jacob Farrell was signed from Central Coast Mariners for an undisclosed fee as Pompey turned their attention to players capable of competing in the second tier.

Cohen Bramall was added to the Blues’ ranks in January on a short-term deal as Farrell’s first season in English Football was hampered by a campaign-long knee injury.

And while a decision will be made on his Fratton Park future in the coming days, it’s unlikely Mousinho will look for further additions at left-back this summer as Ogilvie proved he’s more than capable of competing at Championship level.

With that in mind, it’s a case of what might have been for Koiki as he now looks for a new career path away from Northampton and without Pompey keeping abreast of his situation.

For your next Pompey read: From regular Portsmouth heartache to four consecutive promotions - a huge success story since leaving Fratton Park