Portsmouth boss delivers transfer latest on out-of-favour pair Matt Ritchie and Abdoulaye Kamara

John Mousinho has revealed Pompey have received interest in out-of-favour pair Matt Ritchie and Abdoulaye Kamara.

And he expects their potential moves away from Fratton Park to ramp up as the league season nears kick off.

It has been mutually agreed with Ritchie that the former Newcastle man can leave the Blues this summer to fulfil his desire for regular first-team football, something Mousinho could no longer promise.

While they are keen to offload Kamara following a hugely disappointing opening 12 months on the south coast in which he has failed to impress since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

According to Mousinho, Kamara has been training with Pompey in between spending time with his family in Paris, while Ritchie hasn’t been around their Copnor Road base, although has attended a training camp abroad to maintain his impressive natural fitness.

Regardless, the Blues boss is adamant clubs are continuing to show interest in recruiting them.

‘I will be very surprised if there’s not more interest’

Speaking after Saturday’s victory over Reading, Mousinho told The News: ‘I don’t know the latest with Abs and Matt, it’s not something I am dealing with directly at all.

‘Although I am pretty sure there is interest, whether we are close to doing anything, I don’t know.

‘Now we are getting close to the season and clubs start to properly look at where they are with their squads, I will be very surprised if there’s not more interest.

‘Abs is still in and around with us. Sometimes we give him a bit of extra time to go back to Paris, but he has been in training with us.

‘It’s just that sometimes we give him the weekend to go back and spend a bit of time with his family.

‘Matt came back initially, but we have told him if he wants to spend a bit more time at home then he can. I think he has been training hard, he has also done a training camp abroad, just to keep himself ticking over.

‘It’s one of those where I have been trying to get the right balance between the two, obviously making sure Matt is ready and right to go wherever he needs to go.’

Tom McIntyre’s Portsmouth absence

Another surplus to requirements is Tom McIntyre, who has yet to feature in Pompey’s friendly schedule.

The central defender has been sidelined by injury since the Blues returned from their pre-season training camp in Slovakia, keeping him out of fixtures with Woking, Farnborough, Crawley and Reading.

Like Ritchie and Kamara, the Blues want to move on the 26-year-old this summer, having informed him he isn’t part of Mousinho’s plans.

McIntyre hasn’t featured in the first-team since the January FA Cup defeat against Wycombe, having ended last season with League One play-off winners Charlton.

Now back from his injury, it remains to be seen whether he’s involved in Tuesday night’s friendly at the Hawks (7pm).

Mousinho added: ‘Tom is still injured but has been back out on the grass.

‘He was fully involved with the football session on Saturday, so he should be back training this week.’

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