Portsmouth transfer latest: John Mousinho on Gavin Whyte after being linked with move for Cardiff winger

The Pompey boss said the Northern Ireland international would be ‘an excellent addition to any squad’ – including the Blues – as he refused to rule out a summer move for the 27-year-old.

Whyte, whose Bluebirds contract expires in June, was this week linked with a free transfer move to Fratton Park.

Mousinho said it was only natural that he would be associated with the wide man after they both shared a dressing room at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium for two seasons.

That first campaign (2018-19) saw the Irish League product score seven goals in 36 league games – a return that was rewarded with a move to Championship Cardiff.

The second came in Oxford’s 2021-22 League One season when Whyte recorded 10 assists and a goal during a season-long loan spell away from the Welsh outfit.

The years in between saw the 28-times capped Northern Ireland player struggle to nail down a regular starting place at Cardiff.

That has continued into this season, with Whyte yet to feature under new Bluebirds boss Sabri Lamouchi.

But that doesn’t appear to be putting Mousinho off as he welcomed the idea of working with the winger again – only this time at Fratton Park.

He told The News: 'I think it's a natural link because I've played with Gavin and he's out of contract.

'He's certainly a player I know very well, An excellent player. He's probably not had the last couple of seasons that he would have liked to have had but he's a really excellent player. I think he would be an excellent addition to any squad.

'Obviously, at this stage, I think if you're talking about Gavin Whyte being a possibility then it's certainly not something that I would like to dismiss.’

Whyte would be seen as an ideal replacement for Owen Dale, who will return to Blackpool following his season-long loan on the south coast.

The Tangerines right-winger is one of many expected departures from Pompey’s existing attacking positions over the summer, with fellow loanees Dane Scarlett and Joe Pigott also set to leave. Michael Jacobs looks likely to miss out on the offer of a new contract, while Reeco Hackett could also exit after finding himself excluded from the Blues’ past two games.

Whyte has the capabilities of playing across the front line – through the middle and on the left flank as an inverted winger.

However, Mousinho thinks playing him regularly on the right will see the former Crusaders ace get back to his best.

'I think Gavin's best playing as a winger, so wide on the right,’ added the Blues head coach.

'He's an old-school winger, he's got pace, he's got an ability to take players on and come up with quite a few assists.

'When he first came over from Northern Ireland, that's what he was like. He was really raw, really hungry and provided a huge outlet for that Oxford side.

'We see him as a right-winger.’