Portsmouth transfer news: reasons why wanted goalkeeper could be tempted by move to Fratton Park
Reports from Holland claim Pompey have had nu luck with two separare bids for NAC Breda keeper Daniel Bielica.
Pompey target Daniel Bielica would be forgiven for wanting a fresh start at Fratton Park.
Despite reports that NAC Breda has refused to entertain two separate bids for the keeper as they bid to keep Carl Hoefkens’ recently relegated squad in tact for their forthcoming season in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, the 27-year-old’s time at the Rat Verlegh Stadion hasn’t been without incident.
Signed by Breda from Polish side Gornik Zabrze in June 2024, Bielica has gone on to play 66 times for the club, keeping 11 clean sheets.
He’s widely accepted to be first-choice among Hoefkens’ ranks. But on two separate occasions he’s been unexpectedly dropped from the first team.
On each occasion, the Pole’s distribution with his feet was cited as the primary reason for his surprise demotion, with the manager demanding a modern, playmaking goalkeeper who can comfortably build from the back.
Yet Hoefkens quickly backtracked on his decisions. Indeed, last October Bielica was restored to the starting XI after just two games sat on the bench following errors by stand-in stopper Kostas Lamprou.
In May, Breda made the decision to shake up their goalkeeping department by replacing coach Gábor Babos with SC Telstar’s Rick van der Mast.
The purpose was to get the 29-year-old to work with Bielica and get him to a stage in his career were he can be a goalkeeper who is highly comfortable playing out from the back, especially with Breda expected to dominate possession in their second-tier games next season.
But that hasn’t stopped Hoeftens & Co sounding out potential replacements, with Calvin Raatsie, Niek Schiks and Sem Westerveld all approached before their respective deals collapsed.
It all leaves Bielica, who was at fault for a goal in Breda’s pre-season defeat to FC Eindhoven on Wednesday, in a precarious position at the Rat Verlegh Stadion.
The question remains, though, will Pompey be tempted to go back with a third offer for a keeper who is under contract until 2027 and whom Breda clearly want more than the £500,000 reportedly offered by the Blues?
Why Pompey want to sign a goalkeeper?
Pompey are certain to be looking for goalkeeping reinforcements this summer, as they significantly up their level of transfer spending.
Austrian Nicolas Schmid is the established first choice at Fratton Park, but Ben Killip is currently the only other fit option available to John Mousinho in the Championship next season.
That’s after academy graduate, Toby Steward, returned to SPL new boys St Johnstone on loan next season after sealing a new three-year contract at Fratton Park.
Josef Bursik is currently injured with a calf issue picked up at Stoke City at the end of last season, and is sidelined until the end of August at the earliest.
Jordan Archer also left Fratton Park upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season.
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