We need more: John Mousinho on why Portsmouth are targeting wingers in the transfer window

John Mousinho is targeting adding two more wingers to his Pompey options this summer.

The Blues boss is wary of the over-reliance on Josh Murphy for creativity, while has previously spoken of Matt Ritchie potentially having a reduced starting role.

With Kaide Gordon also having returned to Liverpool at the end of his loan, it leaves Paddy Lane and Harvey Blair as the Blues’ other flank alternatives heading into their second successive Championship campaign.

Pompey have so far recruited just Adrian Segecic this summer, an attacking midfielder earmarked for the number 10 role, yet viewed as capable of also featuring on the right.

Regardless, Mousinho’s wish list still contains two conventional wingers - and the Blues are scouring the transfer market for players who fit the bill.

Mousinho ‘It’s certainly something we have got to look for’

He told The News: ‘I probably want two wingers, who are able to play on either flank.

‘That gives us a nice balance. Adrian Segecic can also play there, Callum Lang can also play there, so we have a bit of flexibility across the front line. But another two (winger) signings probably feels about right.

‘The loanees have now gone back, while we relied a lot on Murph last year in terms of his output on the left, his goals and his assists. Matty (Ritchie) played a huge amount as well.

‘We are trying to supplement that, trying to provide a bit more relief and a bit more back up. That is certainly something we’re going to try to look for in the summer

‘Harvey (Blair) is really promising, but, at the minute, he is injured and we want to make sure we continue his development in the right way. It’s just about supplementing that front line.’

Josh Murphy swept the honours

Left winger Murphy scored seven goals and made 14 assists last term and swept the honours at the end of season awards - among fans as well as his own team-mates.

Workaholic Ritchie was largely the preferred choice on the right flank, with five goals and one assist in his 41 appearances, in addition to boundless energy and drive.

Meanwhile, Lane didn’t feature after January, having suffered a knee injury in the 3-0 defeat at Blackburn. However, he is now back in full training.

As for Blair, a low-key opening season ended with successive starts in the final two matches, only to sustain hamstring damage early in the last game against Hull and is still to return to full training.

‘Four or five’ new signings

In the meantime, the Blues’ recruitment drive continues, with Mousinho targeting adding ‘five or six’ new faces overall this summer.

He added: ‘I don’t know what the precise number is, I suspect we will probably end up with maybe five or six more, nothing huge, but there’s still a bit of work to do.

‘We feel we are in a really good spot this season, certainly if you look at the back four. There are two left-backs, three right-backs and six centre-halves, so we feel we are solid in that position.

‘As we go up the pitch, we have certain players in certain positions which we are very confident with and feel very strong. We just need to add around that.’

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