Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter PFC News

Released Derby County goalkeeper Emmanuel Idem has been training with Portsmouth.

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Pompey have been taking a look at the stopper over recent months, as per a report by Hampshire Live.
Idem, who is 22-years-old, was released by Derby at the end of last season.

He has been a free agent since the end of June and has been weighing up his next move in the game.

The ‘keeper was spotted warming up with Gavin Bazunu and Alex Bass the other night before Portsmouth’s game against Ipswich Town.
Boss, Danny Cowley, has said: “He’s been with us since the summer. He’s been training with us.

“Manny Idem, I think he was at Derby last but he’s been coming and training with the group and he’s a good character, larger than life. Obviously has lots of energy, lots of enthusiasm and he is a good goalie as well. It has been good that he has been in and training with the group.”

Idem had spells in the academies at Stoke City and Aston Villa before he was released by the latter in 2018.

He was subsequently snapped up by Macclesfield Town and had half-a-season playing in League Two.

The Londoner then had a spell in non-league at Canvey Island before Derby signed him last summer.

He was brought in to provide goalkeeping cover for the Rams but they decided to let him depart when his contract expired a few months ago.

 

Academy product Harry Jewitt-White being monitored by Manchester United and other leading English clubs.

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The News understands Premier League giants Manchester United are among those who have sent scouts to watch the Wales under-18 youth international this season. United are believed to be regular watchers of the 17-year-old, who the Blues have high hopes for in the future.

The hot teenage prospect already has three first-team appearances under his belt - all coming in the EFL Trophy - and has featured for Danny Cowley this season. Jewitt-White, who hails from Hayling Island and has been with the club since the age of seven, became Pompey's third-youngest post-war player when handed his debut as a substitute under ex-Blues boss Kenny Jackett in a 1-0 EFL Trophy defeat to West Ham under-21s last season.

He would also start Pompey's 5-1 loss to Peterborough in the same competition last term, while he featured as a substitute in the Blues' 5-3 Papa John's Trophy defeat at League One rivals AFC Wimbledon last month.

Meanwhile, the midfielder played the full 90 minutes of the Hampshire Senior Cup win at Southern League side Basingstoke, scoring from the penalty spot in the shoot-out victory. The highly-rated youngster was one of only a few youth players to survive a major summer clear-out of the academy ranks.

Jewitt-White has even earned international honours with Wales under-18s - last turning out in his country's 1-1 draw with England under-18s - who he qualifies for through Welsh mother Claire.

It’s all progress which is believed to have not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United scouts among those from leading clubs who are keeping a watchful eye on his trajectory.

 

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Transfer gossip: Portsmouth reportedly join Hull City and Barnsley in the race for Rochdale ace's signature - Pompey are reportedly looking to sign Rochdale’s Aaron Morley, with the midfielder’s future uncertain at Spotland.

First reported by Football League World, the 21-year-old’s contract at the Dale is set to expire this summer, which opens the door to a free transfer in July or a discounted price in two months time.

However, a deal may be hard to strike for the central midfielder with Championship clubs Hull City and Barnsley allegedly joining Danny Cowley in the race for his signature.

Shrewsbury Town had also been interested in his services in the summer, but failed to lure him to Shropshire after their bid was turned down by the Greater Manchester club.

And his future has come into the spotlight once again as he’s yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Morley has made 15 appearances in League Two this season and has grown in prominence since graduating from Rochdale’s academy by scoring and assisting a goal, respectively.

 

Gosport Borough have signed Seok-Jae Lee following his departure from Portsmouth.
The non-league side have announced the addition on their official club website.

Lee, 18, parted company with Portsmouth at the end of last season and has since been weighing up his options.

Gosport’s website mentions the fact he has had trials at Sunderland and Brentford since leaving Fratton Park.

He made his debut yesterday against Taunton Town.

Gosport boss, Shaun Dale, has said: “With a couple of injuries it gives us a good opportunity to look at Seoks.

“He’s been without a club since leaving Portsmouth so it’s a good opportunity for both of us. He’s another promising youngster to add to our side and I’m really glad to have him on board.”

Lee started out at Pickwick FC before Portsmouth swooped to sign him in 2019. The South Korean was a regular for Pompey at Under-18s level and made a couple of first-team appearances in the cup last season.

He will be looking to get plenty of game time under his belt at Gosport this season. They are currently play their football in the Southern Premier League Division South.

 

Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley linked with prolific Bohemians striker and Ireland PFA Player of the Year nominee Georgie Kelly.

The 25-year-old has rattled in 26 goals for Bohemians this season, inevitably bringing him to the attention of a number of clubs.

Tantalisingly, Kelly becomes a free agent following Sunday’s FAI Cup final, when Bohemians face St Patrick’s Athletic in the season’s finale.

According to the Irish Examiner, Pompey are among those pursuing the in-demand centre-forward, who helped Bohemians finish fifth in the League Of Ireland Premier Division. Kelly’s home-town club, Derry City, have also been linked with a move for the free agent, who has previously featured for UCD and Dundalk.

Link to Youtube footage of the player:-

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...006B275C7FC7B0A70FF8006&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

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Pompey are apparently interested in signing 25 year old 6' 2" striker Kyle Wootton of Notts County. He has scored 41 goals in 85 games for the club since 2019 when he was initially on loan to them, from Scunthorpe. His contract is due to expire at the end of this season.

 

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Danny Cowley wins League One Manager of the Month - 1-1, 1-0, 3-0, 1-0, 2-1, 3-0, 1-0. Not a bad month !!

 

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Portsmouth are keen on AFC Wimbledon left-back Nesta Guinness-Walker.

Portsmouth are looking to sign him in the January transfer window. Guinness-Walker, 22, has been impressive for Wimbledon so far this season.

However, Mark Robinson’s side could face a battle to keep hold of him this winter. Guinness-Walker is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is due to become a free agent next summer as things stand. The Dons run the risk of losing him for nothing next year unless they cash in on him or can agree a new deal.

The defender started his career in the academies of Premier League duo Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. He then dropped into non-league as a youngster and caught the eye playing for Metropolitan Police. London born, he is the the great-grandson of actor Sir Alec Guinness.

Wimbledon handed him a trial in 2019 and he did enough to land himself a move to the London club. Guiness-Walker broke into the Dons’ first-team in his first season and has since been a regular in the third tier. He has made 85 appearances over the past few campaigns and has chipped in with three goals.

Portsmouth are being linked with a move for him this January as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of the second-half of the season.

 

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Portsmouth are monitoring Swansea City striker Liam Cullen’s situation, as reported by The News.
Portsmouth are interested in a move for the Championship attacker in the upcoming January transfer window.

Cullen, 22, has also been linked with MK Dons, Fleetwood Town, Lincoln City and Cheltenham Town recently, as per a report by Football Insider.

The Wales youth international has made 16 appearances for the Swans this term in all competitions and has chipped in with three goals.

Early career
Cullen has spent his whole career to date with Swansea and joined the club at the age of six.

He rose up through the academy of the Championship side and was a regular for them at various youth levels.

The Pembrokeshire-born man made his senior debut in August 2018 in a League Cup clash against Crystal Palace.

Cullen has since gone on to play 23 times for the Swans’ first-team and has scored four times.

He is yet to leave the club on loan and Russell Martin has a decision to make on his situation this winter.

The striker still has three years left on his contract.

Portsmouth are keen on Cullen and they are after a forward as they look to bolster their attacking options for the second-half of the season.

Danny Cowley’s side may have to see off competition to land him though with other clubs like MK Dons, Fleetwood, Lincoln and Cheltenham linked.

 

Portsmouth lining up January bid for Cheltenham Town defender Will Boyle.

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Portsmouth are thought to be lining up a January approach for Cheltenham Town captain Will Boyle.

The 26-year-old defender is the Robins’ longest serving player, having joined them from Huddersfield Town in January 2017.

Since then he has made 174 appearances and scored 23 times, helping them make the step up from League Two as champions last term.

Boyle’s current deal at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium is due to expire at the end of this season, but it is likely to take a six-figure sum to capture his signature next month.

He was the subject of interest from Sheffield Wednesday last year, with the Owls watching him on several occasions, while Oxford United were also keen.

Yorkshireman Boyle started out in the youth set-up at Wednesday - who have continued to monitor him this season - before joining Huddersfield.

He also spent time on loan at Kidderminster Harriers, Macclesfield Town, York City and Kilmarnock before his switch to Cheltenham, who were struggling in League Two at the time.

Boyle has thrived under the management of Michael Duff, who took over in September 2018, showing an improvement with the ball at his feet and continuing to dominate aerially.

The Robins reached the League Two play-offs in 2019/20, but lost out to Northampton Town in the semi-finals.

But Boyle made 36 appearances in all competitions last season, chipping in with seven goals, as they stormed to their first Football League title, with the 6ft 3in left footer named in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.

 

Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth lead race to sign Newcastle's Matthew Bondswell in January.

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Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth have set their sights on signing Newcastle defender Matthew Bondswell in January. The left-back, 19, is highly regarded at Newcastle and has been training with the first team this season.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Newcastle have given the green light to him going out on loan next month.
League One sides Wednesday and Portsmouth are currently leading the race for his services.

Bondswell was brought through the youth ranks at Nottingham Forest before joining RB Leipzig in 2018. In August 2020 the defender joined Eerste Divisie side FC Dordrecht on a season-long loan deal. However, he only made seven appearances for the Dutch side before returning to Leipzig.

Bondswell joined Newcastle in March after failing to make an impact in Germany. The defender has already featured for the senior Newcastle side in pre-season.

He came on as a second-half substitute as the Magpies beat Doncaster Rovers 3-2 on 23 July. He has so far made 11 appearances in the Premier League 2 this season, contributing two assists.

As it stands, Wednesday and Portsmouth are separated by one point and one place in the League One table.

 

Portsmouth teenagers join Bognor Regis Town on loan.

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Dan Gifford

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Harvey Hughes

Striker Dan Gifford, and defender Harvey Hughes have joined up with the Nyewood Lane outfit ahead of the Isthmian premier division home showdown against rivals Worthing on December 27 and the busy schedule thereafter.

Highly-rated Gifford, 18, is a goal-getter who has already scored eight in 11 this season for Pompey's academy side, and has been on the bench for the first team.

Full-back Hughes,18, made his first-team debut for the Blues, appearing in the 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace U21 in the Papa John's EFL Trophy.

Both players are likely to feature for Portsmouth against Exeter City in the same competition in January, but it is anticipated that they will be able to return to the Rocks following that match.

Rocks general manager Simon Cook said: "As usual, we are extremely grateful to Portsmouth and hope that both Dan and Harvey benefit from their time with us."

 

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21 year old loan striker Gassan Ahadme has been recalled by Norwich City when the transfer window opens in January. Shame really, as 8 goals in 4 pre-season friendlies made him look a decent prospect, but he didn't improve from there as the season progressed.

 

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Pompey and Championship side Blackpool were said to be keen on Queens Park Rangers 24 year old playmaker George Thomas, whose previous clubs include Leicester City and Coventry City.

Thomas, an attacking 5' 8" tall midfielder who can also play on both wings, is someone Cowley knows well, having previously watched him.

On transfers in general, Cowley detailed the importance of creating finance in this window and that if players are sold permanently, there is a need to replace those with permanent signings as and where possible. “George is one we know well. We have watched George a lot and he’s a really good player,” added Cowley.

“We are cautious that we need to try to create money to get players in. We are also cautious that we’ve only got a small amount of loan spots available.

“We also are aware that if we allow permanent players to go to leave the club then we’ve got to replace them with permanent players and that’s not easy to do with our transfer fees.

“These are all of the considerations we have and we’re working really hard with the club, the owners, with the recruitment team, with Andy Cullen and Tony Brown just to do the very best for this football club in this window.”

 

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Crawley have signed former Pompey goalkeeper Taylor Seymour until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old had spells with Worthing, Lewes and Lancing before joining League One Portsmouth in September 2020.

He moved to Isthmian League South East club Burgess Hill Town at the end of the 2020-21 season after leaving Pompey.

"I'm really happy to be here and back into professional football," Seymour told Crawley's website.

"A big thank you to the gaffer [John Yems] and Dean [Lightwood] for allowing me to come in and train over the last few months and then give me this fantastic opportunity."

 

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27 year old striker Ellis Harrison has joined Fleetwood Town in a permanent transfer, for an undisclosed fee. Wish him well !

Out of interest, he scored Fleetwood's only goal on his debut today, in a 0-1 win away to Doncaster Rovers.

 

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Haji Mnoga has joined Weymouth on a youth loan until the end of the 2021/22 season.

The 19-year-old defender – who penned a new Blues deal last summer – spent the first half of the campaign with Bromley.

He also featured for Pompey in the Papa John’s Trophy group stage fixtures against AFC Wimbledon and Sutton.

Weymouth are currently sitting just inside the National League relegation zone having lost their past six games.

 

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Danny Cowley admits that Portsmouth would be interested in signing Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer, should he be available in the January transfer window.

The 20-year-old forward has been linked with a move away from Villa this month, with Pompey and their League One rivals Sunderland among the clubs named as potential suitors for Archer.

Archer has impressed for Villa's U23 side in Premier League 2 this season and he has also had an impact at first-team level too, scoring his first senior goals as he bagged a hat-trick against Barrow in the Carabao Cup earlier this term.

He then added a fourth goal in the Carabao Cup with a strike against Chelsea in the third round, while he has also made three appearances in the Premier League for Villa.

 

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Danny Cowley is weighing up whether to bolster his left-sided options in January after being linked with Wigan’s Tom Pearce. The Blues boss admitted he doesn’t feel he has a natural left wing-back within his ranks at present.

And that means he has to decide whether remedying that situation is a pressing need now, or can wait until the summer.

The News understands 23 year old Pearce is a player under consideration as a potential option to boost the left side of the pitch, with Preston also keen.

The 6' 1" defender is out of contract at the end of the season, and may well be viewed as a better player to move for when he is a free agent.

That would leave Pompey to continue with Lee Brown, Connor Ogilvie and Reeco Hackett down the flank for the rest of this campaign, with a striker and right-sided central defender the more pressing priorities.

 

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Paul Downing has moved to Rochdale on loan until the end of the season, when his Pompey contract will expire.