John Mousinho made the signing of the season last summer, Portsmouth must now not sell him
It was an excellent first season back in the Championship for John Mousinho and his Portsmouth side, as they comfortably avoided relegation back to League One.
A disappointing defeat to Coventry City did see some fears of relegation brought back in the final few weeks of the campaign, but Pompey stayed strong and ended the year strongly
However, this summer transfer window is vital to the Blues’ chances of pushing up the division in 2025/26, and with Portsmouth interested in Abu Kamara’s return after an outstanding loan in League One, it is clear to see that Mousinho is already thinking about the next step.
Yet, there will be one other major concern ahead of the window shutting on September 1, and Pompey fans know that they could see one key player targeted by their Championship rivals.
Portsmouth cannot afford to lose Josh Murphy this summer
Josh Murphy left Oxford United 12 months ago and made his way to the south coast to join Portsmouth following their title win in the third tier.
While it could have been seen as a sideways step, the winger hit the ground running at Fratton Park, and after a tough start to the season for the whole team, he started to lead the fightback by the time autumn came.
The second half of the campaign was particularly strong for the 30-year-old, and he was arguably the Championship’s best player during that time, eventually ending 2024/25 on seven goals and 14 assists from 42 games.
Therefore, Portsmouth must not let Murphy go this summer, no matter who shows interest as he is vital to the club continuing on their upward trajectory.
John Mousinho was right about Josh Murphy in his first comments
Next season’s Championship will be extremely exciting, and Pompey supporters are already looking forward to facing Southampton in the league for the first time since 2012.
However, they need Murphy to stick around if they are to have success, after his first year went exactly how Mousinho expected. He said about the winger last June (via: portsmouth.co.uk): “Josh brings a wealth of Premier League and Championship experience
“He was one of the outstanding players in League One during the second half of last season, which culminated in that Wembley brace to take Oxford up. Josh can get the fans excited with the way he plays, so we’re absolutely delighted to get the deal done.”
Murphy did more than just get the fans excited, but this cannot be a one-time thing and he must continue this form into next season. However, the job for the club is to ensure that the 30-year-old stays around at Fratton Park as replacing him will be nearly impossible.
