Portsmouth announce second signing of day as midfielder Luke Le Roux moves to Fratton Park on three-year deal
Pompey sign fourth player of transfer window by announcing signing of South African midfielder Luke Le Roux
Pompey have announced the signing of South Africa midfielder Luke Le Roux.
Just hours after sealing the arrival of Mark Kosznovszky from MTK Budapest for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £1m, the Blues have also completed the signing of the IFK Varnamo enforcer.
Just like their agreement with MTK, the Le Roux fee is undisclosed, with the player signing a three-year deal upon his exit from the Swedish top flight.
The nine-times capped South Africa international represents the Blues’ fourth signing of the summer transfer window and their third midfield addition behind Kosznovszky and John Swift.
Le Roux, who has spent six of the past seven seasons in Sweden, had featured 14 times for Varnamo before his departure. The former FC Volendam midfielder had a year remaining on his contract at the Finnvedsvallen.
His arrival comes 24 hours after eagle-eyed Pompey fans spotted the the South Africa checking into a local hotel, prompting much speculation on social media that he was heading to Fratton Park.
What John Mousinho likes about Luke Le Roux
Confirming his arrival at Fratton Park, head coach John Mousinho said the Blues fended off interest from elsewhere to land La Roux.
He said: ‘Luke’s form over the past couple of seasons means he not only found himself on our radar, but also that of a number of other clubs.
‘So we’re delighted that he’s agreed to join Pompey and we’ve brought in an experienced international player.
‘Luke is a holding midfielder who likes to sit in and dictate the play. He’s physically strong and can also handle the ball.
‘It was a position we were looking to fill and is just what we needed. I’m excited to see him in action in a Pompey shirt.’
Who is Pompey’s latest signing Luke Le Roux?
Le Roux came through the ranks at SuperSport United in his homeland before moving to Sweden to feature for Varbergs.
He then spent a season playing in the Dutch top-flight with Volendam and joined IFK Värnamo last summer.
Le Roux helped them win a play-off to remain in the highest tier of Swedish football and made a total of 32 appearances for the club.
Flashscore.co.uk values the player at 772,000 euroes.