Portsmouth transfer latest: sporting director shares thoughts on Fratton Park returns for Hull and Cardiff players

Rich Hughes has identified reasons that would make Fratton Park returns for former fans’ favourites Abu Kamara and Alex Robertson difficult to deliver.

However, the Pompey sporting director hasn’t closed the door on the League One title-winning duo being reunited with the Blues.

Both have been the subject of speculation for most of the summer as doubts persist about their futures at their current clubs.

A mixed maiden season at Championship rivals Hull, alongside the appointment of a new manager and a recently enforced transfer embargo has seen Kamara linked with a move away from the MKM Stadium. Indeed, this week Sky Sports reported that Glasgow Rangers were keen to strike a bargain deal for the forward to help ease the Tigers’ financial issues.

Meanwhile, the general consensus is that Robertson could leave Cardiff following their relegation from the Championship and the need to rebuild under new boss Brian Barry-Murphy in League One.

Pompey remain firm admirers of the two, despite attempts last season to keep them following the conclusion of their loans from Norwich and Manchester City respectively.

But Hughes believes turning that admiration into returns has its hurdles.

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Rich Hughes explains Pompey’s Abu Kamara and Alex Robertson stance

Asked by BBC Solent’s Andy Moon whether there was a feasible pathway to bring them back?, the Pompey sporting director said: ‘It's always really tough to do it and I think you take Hull as a sort of working example - they've gone under an embargo and I think the natural reaction would be they have to sell players.

‘But, also, you can't lose sight of the fact that they may not be able to replace them and I think that's probably the flip side of that coin - so that becomes really difficult.

‘So, he’s Hull's player, we completely respect that, and is he a player we'd be interested in? Yes, absolutely. Is it one that we'll be able to do? We have to wait and see and see how that pans out. Again, when you talk about these unknown factors, you look at Hull's situation and, again, there's an incredible amount of grey areas in that sort of set up to get a deal done.

‘As with Cardiff, I suspect without knowing the inner workings of their club - they've been relegated, their prerogative and aim would be to get back promoted straight away, which I think is quite natural.

‘The new head coach will have known Alex Robertson from his time at Man City and I'm probably sure that Brian Barry-Murphy spoke about building a team around Alex Robertson.

‘So, again, probably a difficult one but without knowing the inner workings of their finances and any of the detailed elements of the deal, it'd be hard to say whether it would be Cardiff's prerogative to want to sell the player.’

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