'That's it for us now': John Mousinho on the Portsmouth position he won't be making any more signings for

The Blues added Christian Saydee and Kusini Yengi to their centre-forward options in the opening 19 days of the transfer window.

The duo join last season’s 24-goal Colby Bishop in a three-strong striking pool – and there'll be no further additions.

According to Mousinho, the shutters have been pulled down on that particular department as the Blues now focus on strengthening other positions.

And he’s delighted with the three strikers at his disposal for their 2023-24 promotion bid.

Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘That will be us for strikers now.

‘We do think that, at this level, you need three centre-forwards. We had that last year and still believe it’s well worth having.

‘It’s also worth having a centre-forward you own because sometimes if you aren’t playing as a centre-forward and are on loan it can be a bit frustrating. Obviously it’s also frustrating when you’re a permanent, but they are here for the long-term.

‘So we have three strikers, all on contracts, none of them loans. That can only be good for us as it's not just about what they do tomorrow, it’s about what they do next week and the week after.

‘We want players who complement each other, so, if we’re looking to change the game, you can turn to the bench and see different attributes.

‘There’s also the option of playing a couple of them together. We did that last season when we played Joe Pigott and Colby together – and Joe might have played a bit more if he hadn’t been sent off against Accrington.

‘I also think there are options for any of them to play as a traditional front two in a 4-4-2, although we probably won’t do that a huge amount unless we’re changing something in a game.

‘On the other hand, if one plays more as a centre-forward and another drops off to be a number 10, like we did last year with Joe (Pigott) who everyone probably considered as an out-and-out centre forward, that can be quite effective.

‘So we’ve got the flexibility and versatility.’

Last term Bishop was joined by loanees Pigott and Dane Scarlett, all recruited by predecessor Danny Cowley.

Now the department consists of Bishop, plus two players purchased for undisclosed fees since the window opened.

Mousinho added: ‘It’s brilliant to have the strikers all sorted by this stage – and they are with us in Spain.

‘Tactically, you have all the bodies out with you, so we can work on them during the pre-season ahead of the August start.’