Rich Hughes: Why 'attractive' Portsmouth have transfer advantage for Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City starlets
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More top Premier League clubs are poised to entrust ‘attractive’ Pompey with developing their top talent after this season’s success.
That’s the message from sporting director Rich Hughes as he plots raiding the loan market during another busy summer of recruitment.
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Hide AdThe Blues’ handling of Abu Kamara, Alex Robertson, Tino Anjorin and Myles Peart-Harris has reportedly drawn praise from their parent clubs.


When injury has permitted, the quartet all flourished during their time at Fratton Park in regular League One football.
Now John Mousinho’s team have stepped up into the Championship and, according to Hughes, currently boast a greater pulling power in the battle for loans.
He told The News: ‘The loan approach changes in the Championship. You potentially get players that have had exposure and experience at League One before, whereas in League One you tend to end up taking first-time loans.
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Hide Ad‘I also think we’ve won some friends in Man City, Chelsea, Norwich and Brentford in terms of how we have treated their players and the development they've seen in those players. We have become a good option.
‘Zesh (Rehman) won’t take any credit for it because of the individual he is, but he works really closely with all of the players and reports back to their parent club.
‘They have been pleased across the board with everything they’ve received this year and you would very much like to hope that also puts us in a strong position for loans next season.
‘The way in which we have operated can potentially open more doors.’
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Hide AdAs this season’s biggest loan successes, Pompey have already voiced their desire to bring back Kamara and Robertson for 2024-25 in the Championship.
Yet Hughes also believes the intensity of the Fratton Park atmosphere and associated pressures can also represent the ideal stage for other Premier League talent to develop.
He added: ‘You can’t lose sight of the fact of the size of the club as well, the opportunity to come and play for Pompey in the Championship is a really attractive option. Certainly for a bigger player at Liverpool, for example.
‘They want to get their players used to the intensity of big crowds and Pompey is an ideal destination in the Championship for players to come and learn their trade.’
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