Wolves and Newcastle in summer transfer swoops for highly-regarded Portsmouth Academy pair

Pompey have agreed to sell two of their Academy starlets to Premier League clubs.

Goalkeeper Xander Grieves, who last season represented the Blues’ under-18s at the age of 14, is to join Wolves.

While highly-regarded midfielder CJ Afumuzor, who spent eight years at Fratton Park, is being snapped up by Newcastle.

The duo will both fetch transfer fees, although, under the terms of the Premier League-driven Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), Pompey are restricted to the amount they can receive.

These involve set figures, but it is understood the Blues have also negotiated future incentives should the pair’s fledgling careers continue to flourish.

Pompey’s Academy has struggled to provide players to the first-team in recent years, yet the sales of Grieves and Afumozor demonstrate there remains prodigious talent within the system.

In the case of Afumuzor, he is a local youngster and a Mayfield School pupil, while Grieves hails from Dorking and was recruited from Dorking Wanderers in May 2022.

Indeed, such has been Grieves’ rapid progress, he signed early scholarship forms for Pompey in October 2023 and in March made his debut for the Academy’s under-18s against Sutton United.

At the time, lead professional development phase coach Sam Hudson told Pompey’s official website: ‘We had a really young team - I’m not sure if we’ve had a 14-year-old starting between the sticks at this level before and it’s credit to the goalkeeping department that he was ready for that.

‘Xander deserved it because of his performances in training and he’s highly thought of by the club.

‘We felt the opportunity was right to give him his first taste with us and the only disappointing thing is that he didn’t keep a clean sheet because he couldn’t do much about the one we conceded.’

Grieves, who totalled three under-18s outings last season, made his England under-15 debut in May, having previously attended several training camps after being identified as a player of immense potential.