Portsmouth rivals Ipswich complete their third transfer already as they look to build for the future

A week after they secured promotion back to the Championship, the Tractor Boys have been busy in the transfer market as they build for the future.

Indeed, Kieron McKenna’s side have signed three up-and-coming players for their development squad – a trio they believe have the potential to break into the Portman Road first team.

New Zealand under-20 international goalkeeper Henry Gray is the latest new addition to arrive at the Suffolk outfit. The 18-year-old as signed a two-year deal following a successful trial. Currently with the New Zealand squad for the forthcoming FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, Gray arrives from Wellington-based Waterside Karori.

The Tractor Boys’ two other signings have been recruited much closer to home. Striker Chuks Uzor-Greey has joined from the London-based Kinetic Foundation, following two hat-tricks while on trial. He’s also been playing for Corinthian Casuals.

Meanwhile, centre-back Jacob Mazionis also arrives from Kinetic Foundation, after he too impressed while on trial. Mazionis is a Lithuania under-17 international.

The trio will be a long way off the Ipswich first team that secured second place in this season’s League One table with 98 points. Their arrivals, however, demonstrate a desire to promote from within and for Ipswich not to be over-reliant on the big-money signings they’ve been associated with since their takeover by Gamechanger 20 in 2021.

Last week Pompey took up the option to extend academy graduate Harry Jewitt-White’s Fratton Park stay for another 12 months. They also confirmed that teenage defender Josh Dockerill had been offered his first professional deal after graduating from their youth set-up.

The Blues are also continuing to carefully consider the best pathway from Greg Miller’s academy set-up to John Mousinho’s first team, with no development squad in existence at Fratton Park.

But while Jewitt-White and Dockerill can look forward to their respective Pompey futures, the same cannot be said for Dan Gifford and Alfie Bridgman, who have been released by the club.

Second-year scholars Jamie Howell, Gabriel Kamavuako, Adam Payce and Elliott Simpson have also been told that they are leaving.

Pompey duo Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes are expected to be busy this summer, with up to 9-10 new first-team signings earmarked.

No new arrivals will be announced, though, until the summer transfer window opens on June 10.