'Wasn't worth the risk': Portsmouth boss on why 'asset' Kusini Yengi was surprisingly given away for free

John Mousinho has lifted the lid on why Pompey allowed ‘potential asset’ Kusini Yengi to walk away from Fratton Park for nothing.

The Australian international was this week among five players released by the Blues, along with Cohen Bramall, Anthony Scully, Tom Lowery and Alexander Milosevic.

In Yengi’s case, Pompey possessed a club option on a player they signed from Western Sydney Warriors for an undisclosed fee in July 2023.

That would have extended the striker’s south-coast stay by another 12 months, thereby granting time to find a buyer for a possible profit - yet instead the club waived it.

Now Yengi, who plundered 13 goals in League One last season, is up grabs and sure to attract interest, yet Pompey won’t receive a penny.

Portsmouth boss defends ‘difficult decision’

Mousinho told The News: ‘It was a really difficult decision. Not only because of what a great young man is and the impact he’s had at the club previously, but we also had to weigh up what we thought was going to be the impact next year.

‘Overall, we took it on balance, there was no part of us that thought it was straight forward, it was a tough one.

‘There was an option with Kas, but we wanted to be clean and clinical in the way we went about our business. We could have activated it and tried to sell him, but there is absolutely no guarantee that happens.

‘If we are making the decision as a football club to say we want Kas to find another club and want him to move on, we didn’t think it was worth taking that risk (the option).

‘For instance, if he doesn’t want to move or is staying put if no club comes in for him, we could be sitting there on September 2 having been unable to bring in another player because we have this player sat on the budget.

‘We went through all of that. I understand, it’s a really good question, but hopefully that explains why, for us, there’s a risk and reward.

Released Portsmouth man was a ‘potential asset’

‘Is there a potential asset there? Yes. Is there a potential player at the club who’s sat there, having already been informed he hasn’t a future at the football club - and we want to sell you? Yes.

‘In that case, it’s no good for anyone. That’s why we made that decision.’

Despite his impressive opening Fratton Park season, Yengi would subsequently make just 14 appearances during an underwhelming Championship season.

‘He will go down in Portsmouth folklore’

That frustrating drop in performance levels was undoubtedly influenced by four different injury spells, nonetheless his displays also lacked sparkle.

Regardless, Mousinho is convinced Yengi is assured of a place in Fratton folklore for his contribution during the 2023-24 League One title-winning season.

He added: ‘We would have loved to have seen a bit more of Kas this year. He wrote himself into Pompey folklore really, really quickly with the contributions he made.

‘Naturally whenever you've had a player that’s had such an important part and a big part in the club’s history, there is a tinge of disappointment that things haven’t gone a bit better for Kas this year, but it’s also one of those things.

‘I don’t think he has underachieved, there’s definitely plenty more to come, there’s plenty left in the tank for Kas. The next part for him is to establish himself as a number one centre-forward at the next club he goes to.

‘He should be remembered really fondly at the football club - and I think he will be. He will go down in Pompey folklore because he was such a big character and unique in terms of the way he played. He had such a big impact.’

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