The Panutche Camara factor Portsmouth could not ignore as Ipswich midfielder seals loan move to Charlton

The Guinea-Bissau international has moved to the Addicks on a season-long loan – just 11 months after his £500,000 switch to Portman Road from Plymouth.

Camara is Charlton boss Dean Holden’s fourth signing of the transfer window, following Harry Isted, Alfie May and Lloyd Jones in making the switch to The Valley.

He makes the temporary move after experiencing a frustrating maiden season with the Tractor Boys – a period that saw him feature just four times in all competitions because of injury.

The 26-year-old had been mentioned in despatches as someone the Blues needed to sign if they were to be considered serious promotion candidates next season.

Pompey’s midfield has already been boosted with the arrivals of Terry Devlin and Ben Stevenson. But, for some, Camara would have taken the Blues to another level given his displays for Plymouth before his big-money move to Ipswich.

For Mousinho, the midfielder is someone he has huge respect for. He knows the player would have excited the Fratton faithful if he had headed to PO4.

But speaking to The News earlier this month, the head coach admitted Camara’s recent injury record was something the Blues could not ignore.

He said: ‘Camara was excellent for Plymouth a couple of seasons ago.

‘He didn’t feature last year for Ipswich through injury, so it’s probably very difficult for us to look at him with that injury record.

‘He’s a very, very exciting player, no doubt about that. Yet in terms of bringing in players who are robust – and I’m not saying he isn’t – but considering what he went through last year, it’s tough to bring him in.

‘When his name gets mentioned, I think you get quite excited about the prospect of bringing him in.

‘It’s just tempered by the fact that it would just be a difficult one to do with his injury record.’

Pompey’s stance is players’ injury records is understandable given the problems they experienced last season.

Joe Rafferty, Tom Lowery, Zak Swanson, Jay Mingi, Marlon Pack, Clark Robertson and Ronan Curtis are just some of the players who were absent for long periods over the course of last term.

It contributed to Danny Cowley’s Fratton Park downfall and prevented the Blues from finishing higher than a disappointing eighth place.