Pompey are going through their final preparations for their EFL Championship match against Middlesbrough.
John Mousinho is seeking for a response from his players after they fell to a 3-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers in midweek. Pompey slid in to the relegation zone with both Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle gaining up points.
Home is where Pompey have been the most comfortable this season, and they’re unbeaten in their previous five league matches in front of their own supporters. Middlesbrough on the other side have drawn four of their past five matches, so they will want to find a find a winning recipe soon.
It’s yet another frantic week of Championship action with the transfer window going on in the background. Here’s the latest stories from around the division, which could affect Pompey.
As initially reported by The News, Pompey will complete the acquisition of striker Thomas Waddingham in the coming days. In a post on X, Pete O’Rourke stated that Waddingham was scheduled to arrive in the United Kingdom on Thursday night.
He will get a physical on Friday as he finalises his move to Fratton Park. Pompey reportedly outbid Sheffield Wednesday and QPR for his signature.
Waddingham’s club manager, Ruben Zadkovic, confirmed that Brisbane Roar accepted an offer for him last week. It has recently been revealed that Pompey were the team who were successful in their bid for him.
Pompey will sign a 19-year-old striker with 11 goals and two assists in 34 games in Australia’s top league. He will join an Australian contingent that includes Kusin Yengi and Jacob Farrell.
It’s unclear whether the signing will be completed in time for the weekend. In his pre-match press conference yesterday (Thursday), John Mousinho stated that he did not expect any additions before the game against Middlesbrough.
“I don’t think anything before Middlesbrough,” Mousinho explained.
“I spoke with Rich after the game last night, but we mainly discussed the game. We’ll catch up on recruitment this afternoon once we’ve completed the post-match and Middlesbrough preparations.
“I’ve had one of those moments around match days where I pull myself away from it. A lot has happened behind the scenes.
“I suspect by the time we get to Middlesbrough, it’ll be the same squad minus any injuries we’ve picked up.”
Hull City make £2m bid to Blackpool
Pete O’Rourke, a Football Insider transfer writer, stated in a post on X that Hull have made an upgraded bid for Joseph worth around £2 million. Several previous proposals were rejected by the Seasiders, who were hesitant to sell their leading scorer this season.
The 23-year-old has eight goals and three assists in 24 League One games this season. His Championship history includes 10 matches but no goals, and Hull would hope he is now ready to make the step up.
Middlesbrough to play striker amid £20m trandfer talks
Pompey will face Emmanuel Latthe Lath this Saturday, despite the Middlesbrough forward being linked with a £20 million transfer. Atlanta United has made an offer that will break the MLS transfer record, but a deal is far from being completed, despite the two clubs being in talks.
“Yeah, 100%, he’s 100% with us,” Carrick told the Northern Echo when asked if the Ivorian would be involved.
“Manu is our player, and he has trained extremely well this week. This week has gone really smoothly. He is looking forward to the game on Saturday.”
The 26-year-old has 10 goals and two assists in 26 games this season, making him the team’s highest scorer.
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