‘We have a healthy transfer kitty’: Portsmouth boss adamant money to spend after securing second summer signing
John Mousinho eyed Pompey’s next recruitment target and insisted: We have a healthy transfer kitty to spend.
The Blues today unveiled John Swift on a two-year deal after landing the former West Brom, Reading and Chelsea man on a free transfer.
He represents their second signing of the summer, having last month snapped up Adrian Segecic for an undisclosed fee.
The Australian prospect certainly impressed in tonight’s 2-0 success over Woking in Pompey’s opening friendly of the summer, with Segecic and Paddy Lane the scorers.
In the meantime, the Blues are striving to add further quality to their squad with the Championship kicking off in three-and-a-half weeks – and Mousinho is adamant they have cash to splash.
He told The News: ‘If you look at the past couple of transactions we’ve made, we’ve spent money on Hayden (Matthews), we’ve spent on Tom (Waddingham). Tom was on the relatively cheaper side and Hayden on much more expensive, north of £1m.
‘There’s a fee involved with Adrian as well. I know he was technically out of contract, but at the age of 20 there’s a fee involved so absolutely we are looking to spend as a football club.
‘When we spend money we want to get it right, that’s the most important thing. Particularly now when we are looking to spend north of £1m.
‘I know in terms of the Championship that sometimes that isn’t huge money, but considering where we are as a football club, I think it’s a significant step forward.
‘Even from last year, where we were probably slightly lower on the fees, we just have to make sure we get them right.
‘The money is definitely there, there’s a healthy transfer kitty, but we just want to make sure we get the players right.’
The Blues used 22 players in their 2-0 success over Woking, which was watched by a crowd of 1,691, including 711 away supporters.
Swift, who today trained with his new team-mates, was not included as Pompey seek to bring him up to speed before throwing him into friendly action.
They are next in action tomorrow night at Farnborough (7pm), when the bulk of the same 22-man squad will be utilised against the National South side.
Meanwhile, Mousinho has revealed Pompey are closing in on other targets in their transfer hunt.
He added: ‘We are close, although I don’t think there’s going to be a huge amount of activity before the weekend. I guess it depends on how you define close.
‘Transfers are now a lot less straightforward than they were maybe a couple of years ago because of the level and the fact some of the players we bring in from foreign countries. It’s a lot less straightforward in bringing in an Adrian Segecic than signing Conor Shaughnessy on a free.
‘Those are just the sort of things we have to overcome, there’s a multitude of different paperwork, agents involved on both sides, these things just take time.
‘But we are pretty close on a couple.’
Leave a Reply