Analysis: Breaking down Portsmouth's transfer window

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho wearing a club tracksuitImage source, Getty Images
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Portsmouth brought in 15 players to John Mousinho's squad this summer

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It was a transfer window that was not supposed to feature a squad "overhaul" at Portsmouth.

However, if 15 new additions is not an overhaul it's at least major surgery.

How is it best summed up? Pompey stuck to the plan - the owners have been clear that they want the club to sign young, upcoming players.

They are happy to spend fees but understandably reluctant to pay the exorbitant wages that can be found at the top end of the Championship.

There were a number of six-figure outlays, though the reporting of a few deals have been exaggerated - Pompey did not pay £1m for Abdoulaye Kamara.

However, the offer they had accepted for Alex Robertson was understood to be close to that mark before he joined Cardiff City instead.

Transfer deadline day summed up the approach as the club looked for a new centre-back.

Portsmouth were interested in the loan signing of either George Edmundson from Ipswich or Ben Nelson from Leicester.

Edmundson was always going to be a tricky deal to complete given the interest from clubs higher up the Championship food chain.

But Pompey made the choice to step away from the possibility of signing either of those in order to bring in Ibane Bowat on a permanent deal from Fulham - in line with the plan.

The only real exception was the return of Matt Ritchie. He had always made it clear that one day he wanted to return to his boyhood club.

Captain Marlon Pack had said that more leaders were needed, so Ritchie’s return makes perfect sense.

I’m sure there were suitors willing to pay him more, but it was a deal that worked for all parties.

It feels strange saying Portsmouth look well stocked at every position given the makeshift nature of the defence in the past two games, but that is the case.

Image source, Getty Images
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With three draws and one defeat, Portsmouth are still searching for their first Championship win of the season

With two weeks without a match, having most of the squad on the training ground is a big positive and should leave manager John Mousinho with significantly more options.

In fact the squad is a bit too big - three players will have to be excluded when the 25-man list is declared and they won't be able to play until January.

You would take a guess on those being Ben Stevenson, Tom Lowery and potentially Colby Bishop, given his ongoing recovery from heart surgery.

It feels harsh on Stevenson who has been dependable and solid when called upon, and it is surprising there was not more interest in him from League One clubs.

The two departures on deadline day were very late. Portsmouth will have had to pay Gavin Whyte a decent portion of his remaining wages to leave - a high-profile signing that simply did not work out.

We saw nothing but glimpses of what he is capable of, and Whyte was candid about the challenges of living in Emsworth while his family were in Northern Ireland.

Anthony Scully struggled for fitness, and Pompey are paying a portion of his wages while he is on loan at Colchester - something they have previously been reluctant to do with players.

The challenge was always going to be adding top-end Championship quality to the squad, given the constraints.

Tino Anjorin might have been able to bring that quality, but he would have been a big gamble given his fitness record.

It is hard to know how to read Portsmouth’s start to the season. The draws at Leeds and Middlesbrough were excellent points, but Pompey probably should have lost both on the balance of play.

The next three fixtures are not much easier, but the starting XI is likely to look quite different.

Time will tell if Pompey have been able to unearth any gems in the transfer market this summer - this is an unforgiving league and they will need some players to step up.