Transfer gossip: Portsmouth forward attracting League One interest

That's according to former Sunday Sport News editor and transfer insider Darren Witcoop. He said in a post on X that Saydee is attracting interest from teams in the the third tier.

Witcoop added he would only leave if a replacement was found, but that the Blues expect a number of exits from Fratton Park this month, following Elias Sorensen’s departure last week. This month, Australian striker Thomas Waddingham has been linked with a move to the south coast, with the Brisbane Roar manager admitting that a bid had been accepted from an unnamed club.

Pompey’s forward options right now are limited, with Colby Bishop entrusted to lead the line just months after heart surgery. Kusini Yengi is sidelined until February at the earliest with a knee injury he suffered on international duty with Australia.

Mark O'Mahony has also been out the last couple of weeks with a side strain but hopes to be on the comeback trail shortly. Sorensen was sold to Valerenga so a replacement would have to be sought if a club were to act on supposed interest in Saydee.

Christian Saydee at Pompey

League One title-winner Saydee has been a regular in Pompey match-days squads this season, racking up 20 league appearances to date. He's enjoyed eight Championship starts and made 12 appearances off the bench, mostly in a No10 role.

The former Bournemouth and Shrewsbury forward has netted two goals this term - a brace which came in a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough in August. Saydee played against Wycombe Wanderers on Friday night, playing the entirety of the FA Cup third-round fixture.

The 22-year-old is under contract at Pompey for another 18 months, having signed from Bournemouth in July 2023. To date, he's got six goals and three assists in 64 appearances for the Blues.

John Mousinho on transfer departures

In the aftermath of the defeat to Wycombe Wanderers, John Mousinho pledged that there would be departures to come following the arrivals of Rob Atkinson and Isaac Hayden.

A total of nine changes were made in the loss to the Chairboys. Ben Stevenson and Tom Lowery are likely to leave having been omitted from their 25-man squad list for the first part of the campaign. Sammy Silvera is set to return to Middlesbrough, whilst a departure has been suggested for Will Norris.

It's understood that a couple of attacking additions are on the shopping list for Mousinho and sporting director Richard Hughes this month. A winger and a deep-ling central attacker are on the agenda.

Speaking after the defeat to Wycombe, Mousinho told The News: “We’ve known we want to strengthen in January, hence we have brought in a couple of players, but I just don't think there is any excuse for the players on the pitch to produce what they produced.

‘We’ve got a few more weeks in the transfer window and there will be more departures, there will have to be.

‘We are going to have to free up that space in the squad, so that is a likely scenario.

‘We are also looking to strengthen. I don’t know how many, I'm not sure in terms of numbers, that will depend on the transfer window to move forward and who becomes available.

‘There’s more to come, that’s the way to put it.’