Former Portsmouth striker tentatively linked with League One outfit following Fratton Park departure
Kusini Yengi’s two-year Pompey stay came to a close at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Kusini Yengi was one of five players released by Pompey at the end of the 2024-25 Championship exit.
His exit would have no doubt alerted clubs in England and abroad after a two-year stay which saw a 13-goal return.
And it’s not taken long for a potential suitor to emerge with the striker loosely linked with a move to Wycombe Wanderers.
Bucks Free Press have claimed the Chairboys could be interested in signing Yengi following his PO4 departure.
While there appears to be nothing concrete in the report, it does show the attraction the 2023-24 title winner does have - especially in League One.
Clubs in the third tier will be very familiar with the 26-year-old, who tormented the league in his first campaign at Fratton Park.
The powerful forward hit the ground running following his arrival from Western Sydney Wanderers in 2023, scoring five goals in his opening five games of the season. Yengi would go on to net 14 times in 31 appearances as John Mousinho’s men stormed to the title with 97 points.
There was plenty of expectation for the Australian international to continue his fine form in front of goal following Pompey’s promotion to the Championship, especially with Colby Bishop’s absence after undergoing heart surgery earlier in the summer.
But that wouldn’t be the case for Socceroos star, who failed to score in any of his 14 outings in the second tier for the Blues in what proved to be an injury-hit campaign.
Yengi joined Tom Lowery, Anthony Scully, Alexander Milosevic and Cohen Bramall in departing Fratton Park following the expiration of their deals - and it was a move which was right for all parties, according to Mousinho.
John Mousinho on why Pompey didn’t take up Kusini Yengi’s option
Despite Pompey holding a 12-month option on his terms, the head coach made it clear it wasn’t worth the risk just in case a buyer couldn’t be found.
He told The News after the Blues’ retained list was announced: ‘It was a really difficult decision. Not only because of what a great young man is and the impact he’s had at the club previously, but we also had to weigh up what we thought was going to be the impact next year.
‘Overall, we took it on balance, there was no part of us that thought it was straight forward, it was a tough one.
‘There was an option with Kas, but we wanted to be clean and clinical in the way we went about our business. We could have activated it and tried to sell him, but there is absolutely no guarantee that happens.
‘If we are making the decision as a football club to say we want Kas to find another club and want him to move on, we didn’t think it was worth taking that risk (the option).’