Latest: Landmark Portsmouth deal required in race for £2.5m-rated Danish Superliga star
The Danish midfielder with Superliga outfit Silkeborg is attracting transfer interest from England - with Pompey reportedly among the interested parties for a player rated at £2.5m.
Pompey will have to dig deep to see reported interest in Danish ace Pelle Mattsson to fruition.
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The Blues have today been linked with a move for the Silkeborg midfielder, as they aim to accelerate their summer business.
A Danish Superliga star valued at £2.5m
And it’s a transfer which could see Pompey part with the kind of money they haven’t paid for a player since they were in the Premier League.
Mattsson has 18 months left on his agreement with the Superliga outfit where he’s played 34 games this season, returning three goals and two assists to date.
And the player, rated as one of the best defensive midfielders in his league and his club’s best asset, is valued at around £2.5m after his impressive emergence.
Sources in Denmark say the 23-year-old has been attracting interest from England - and has made his intention clear to take on a new challenge away from the club he came through the ranks at. And a report in the country has also stated Pompey are trailing the player this morning.
There’s still a distance to travel to seal a move for Mattsson, however, who was training with his club this morning ahead of their friendly with FC Midtjylland tomorrow evening.
He would also ideally be wanted for his club’s Uefa Conference League qualifiers, which take place through July and August.
Landing Mattsson before those obligations would likely push his price up, with Silkeborg having a history of returning multi-million pound fees for their players moving to England - the latest being Peru international defender Oliver Sonne’s £2.5m switch to Burnley in January.
If Pompey were to pay the kind of money Mattsson is currently valued at it would be the most they’ve shelled out for a player since the Premier League days - and the £3m to secured Mike Williamson from Watford in 2009.
It would likely top both the £1.27m paid to Sydney FC for Hayden Matthews in January - and £1.5m to Bari Erik Huseklepp in 2011.
Pompey midfield strengthening a priority
Pompey desperately need strengthening in the middle of the park, with the department needing some major surgery this summer.
Skipper Marlon Pack, who was a sub for eight of the final nine games, Andre Dozzell and out-of-favour Abdoulaye Kamara are Pompey’s current central options.
The Blues have signalled their intent to look to overseas markets to find maximum value this summer, as they prepare for their second season in the Championship.
They already recruited arguably the premium rising star in A-League football, as Aussie attacker Adrian Segecic was brought in from Sydney FC. Now they are said to be aiming their sights on one of Denmark’s brightest talents in the shape of the former under-19 international.
Mattsson has spent his career with his hometown club since joining the club as a 13-year-old, with his dad Joakim a manager and older brother an attacking midfielder for FC Copenhagen.
The skilful operator offers the kind of mix of physical strength, range of passing and ball-carrying ability to suggest his qualities can be at home in England.
The Blues are due to travel to Slovakia for a week-long training camp in the second week of July, with John Mousinho ideally wanting as many new bodies in the building at that stage.
Pompey had carried out most of their recruitment by that stage in the 2023-24 League One title-winning season, but with Championship-level operators harder to land took five new recruits to Croatia last summer.