'Do a bit of everything' - why Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is excited to land £1m midfielder also wanted by Sheffield United and Swansea
Pompey have completed the signing of Mark Kosznovszky on a three-year deal from MTK Budapest
John Mousinho believes Pompey’s midfield ranks have been bolstered significantly by the arrival of Hungarian midfielder Mark Kosznovszky.
The Blues boss hailed the 23-year-old as someone who ‘can do a bit of everything’ as he welcomed the player to Fratton Park from MTK Budapest on Friday.
Kosznovszky has signed a three-year deal with Pompey after they agreed an undisclosed fee - believed to be in the region of £1m - for the former Hungary under-21 international.
He represents sporting director Rich Hughes’ third arrival of the transfer window, after deals were struck for Adrian Segecic and John Swift earlier during the close season.
What John Mousinho has said about Mark Kosznovszky
Kosznovszky’s arrival will help reinforce a midfield department that comprises of Marlon Pack, Andre Dozzell, Swift and Terry Devlin following the departures of loan duo Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden at the end of last term.
The engine room has been a priority position for the Blues during the transfer window, with Swift’s signing earlier in July taking the heat off Pompey as they continued their search for quality additions.
Now the Blues have doubled their new additions in that key area - and Mousinho couldn’t be happier.
He believes Kosznovszky can be a real asset, with the player’s all-round game, energy and adaptiveness something the head coach is excited to have at his disposal heading into their latest Championship season.
Welcoming the former Parma midfielder to Fratton Park, Mousinho said: ‘We’ve brought in an exciting young player, who is very energetic and talented.
‘He can do a bit of everything – being able to handle the ball and also be a bit more attacking to make an impact in the final third.
‘Márk is also a very powerful runner and we believe he can adapt well to playing in the Championship, so we’re delighted to add him to our squad’
Portsmouth give Mark Kosznovszky chance to play abroad again
Kosznovszky makes the move to Pompey after spending the past four seasons operating in NB1 and NB2 - the top two tiers of Hungarian football.
Prior to that, the midfielder spent two seasons with Italian side Parma, whom he made one senior appearance.
Despite proving a huge success at MTK Budapest, Kosznovszky was keen to test himself abroad again.
Speaking to MTK Budapest’s in-house media in April, he said: ‘If you play well in the NB1, you can get out of the NB1. My goal is to play in a bigger league, in front of as many people as possible, in a bigger club.’
He added: ‘I improved a lot in the two years (at Parma). I learned what the mentality is like there for football.
‘Then I came back as a better player, but I still felt that I couldn't play at the top level, so I had to practice more, but it was positive, because I was able to learn a different mentality.
‘I got a couple of matches in the NB2 (second tier) after I got home. I felt that I still needed a couple of matches to pick up the rhythm, so I joined the NB2.
‘I was able to play there, and I think the game went well in both seasons. They helped me to be where I am now, and to be able to play stably.’
MTK Budapest have already lined up Copenhagen midfielder Honor Nemeth as Kosznovszky’s replacement.