Why Portsmouth are struggling to repeat Josh Murphy transfer coup as wait for deals continues

John Mousinho acknowledged Pompey are looking unlikely to land any free transfer gems.

The Blues boss is refusing to totally shut the door on bringing in any out-of-contract players in this window, but admitted finding the right additions in that market isn’t proving an easy task this summer.

Why Pompey may not get another Josh Murphy-style free transfer

That is one of the factors which is driving the club’s football operation to look overseas to bring in the men to supplement Mousinho’s squad this summer.

Pompey are pushing forward with their transfer business, with the squad currently in Slovakia on their pre-season training camp.

Aussie Adrian Segecic is the sole new face through the door so far, with the Blues open about looking away from the domestic game for business.

One strand of that last year was completing some impressive early business in landing Jordan Williams and Josh Murphy as free agents.

Murphy proved to be a runaway success with outstanding form resulting in 21 goal contributions and a stack of end-of-season awards.

But repeating that feat this summer is looking increasingly unlikely in the eyes of Mousinho.

The free agent market tends to be focussed towards the earlier part of the window with loans then tending to happen as transfer activity reaches a conclusion.

The dynamic is proving slightly different this year with the Fifa Club World Cup and European Under-21 Championships taking place.

Mousinho isn’t totally writing off the free agent market this summer, but acknowledged its dynamic is a factor in Pompey looking elsewhere.

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Mousinho: ‘Not a huge amount of free transfers’

He said: ‘We’re not obsessed with going to foreign markets, but they do present different opportunities to what’s available in the UK.

‘What I think it is going to be different this year is the free transfers. I don’t think there’s going to be a huge amount of free transfers.

‘We did very well in bringing in Murph and Jordan Williams really early last year but I think it’s slightly different to where it was in my day, when it was just one and two-year deals.

‘Players are now signing long-term contracts and there’s a lot more security, so it is a bit different and we have to cast our net further afield.

‘Unless you’re willing to pay big domestic fees I think you have to go elsewhere.

‘It’s not gone, there’s still options - I just think there’s fewer available this year.

‘Again, this time two years ago there was quite a few and we signed the likes of Conor Shaughnessy and Regan Poole as free agents.

‘Last year Murp and Willo were really good pick-ups we tried to do early and sure they were both ready for the Championship.

‘It’s just not quite as straightforward, even some of the best players in League One are tied down on longer-term deals. There’s just not as many free agents floating about.’

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