Pompey are considering signing Matty Kennedy on a perminant deal: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/...ompey-have-discussed-signing-winger-1-8496737
Would prefer Irish lad Ronan Curtis from Derry City ahead of him, but Matty Kennedy would be a useful back up, if we could afford to sign both of them.
Curtis is looking likely to be Pompey's first signing anyway: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/...y-target-delivers-promise-over-move-1-8497755
Ronan Curtis is expected to complete his to move to #Pompey this afternoon. please log in to view this image
Ronan Curtis confirms that he has completed his transfer to Portsmouth in a move worth £100,000: http://leagueofireland.ie/index.php...eofireland-ie-move-to-portsmouth-is-complete/ Speaking after his sides defeat to Dundalk last night, Curtis confirmed the move saying; ‘Im going away tomorrow but my heart is still with Derry City but I am leaving on the 8th of June.’ When asked what the destination, Curtis replied ‘Portstmouth’. He mentioned that ‘It is an exciting club to move to and looking forward to getting pre season started.’
Ah, but apparently both Reading and Blackburn Rovers are trying to hijack the move to Pompey, by making higher offers to Derry City for the player. Has he actually signed on the dotted line ?!
Curtis has agreed a two year contract and will complete his official transfer on June 8th: https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/...edges-portsmouth-bound-ronan-curtis-1-8502366 PORTSMOUTH-BOUND, Ronan Curtis has pledged to be fully committed to Derry City until his move to Fratton Park becomes official on June 8th. The 22 year-old winger was delighted to agree terms on a two-year contract with the League One club last Tuesday and insists the move was never in doubt, despite reported interest from Championship club, Reading at the final hour... ...“We got the deal sorted out for June 8th,” confirmed Curtis. “But as long as I’m a Derry player, and I’ve told Kenny Shiels and all the staff this, I’ll give 100 per cent. I’ll work my hardest. That’s all I can do and have been doing in the past. “I’m not a Portsmouth player yet,” he added. “I’m still a Derry player until I sign that contract when I get over there and that’s when I will do my thing for Portsmouth. “I’m focused on the games ahead for Derry. I’ll have a couple of weeks off in June and then I’ll bang out pre-season with Portsmouth and try and do the same for Portsmouth as I did for Derry. It’s every young man’s dream to go over and express themselves and do well in English football.”...
Official confirmation that Ronan Curtis is the first signing of this transfer window: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44208821
Pompey make their second signing of the summer, Louis Dennis: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44224608 The 25 year old forward was signed on a free transfer after he left non-league Bromley
Hmm, a Striker with a less than 1 in 3 goalscoring record at non league level, I thought that you would be spending a bit to get to the next level by now, you've got the right manager IMO.
Glasgow Rangers have been linked with Brett Pitman: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/...-eye-move-for-pompey-striker-pitman-1-8510160 We cant really afford to lose a striker of his calibre without having a proven quality replacement. Signing non-league players is a risk but sometimes it pays off, and if you can get good quality players without spending a fortune then it's worth the risk. Personally, I'd prefer to do that and develop from the youth academy than buy our way out of the league - it might take longer but it's a safer business model and I'm a gradualist anyway.
I remember Chris Burns being plucked from non-league for the 1991/92 season. Add to that Whittingham and Bradbury, and you can see that PFC have had a few gems from non-league. I hope Lowe continues to develop and add to his game next season, as I would love him to be a central figure in the push for promotion.
You make a very good point MAJR, but my point is that he is hardly pulling up trees at that level, so he is unlikely to make much impact at the higher level and he is hardly a young player by football standards either.
Maybe he's a forward who needs better players around him to meet his potential, or maybe he's more of a team player who focuses on creating opportunities more than being the beneficiary of them, who knows? We'll have to wait an see. If he turns out to be another Jamal Lowe or Ollie Hawkins it'll be a good bit of business. It's worth a punt anyway and, according to this: https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/portsmouth/news/48127/ Pompey's is a very targetted transfer strategy this time and the players are ones Jackett feels will improve the sqaud so I have faith that they know what they're doing.
Fair enough, it just seems a strange choice when there are plenty of Strikers that are more prolific in the Conference, but like you say, Jackett knows what he is doing I suppose.
Kal Naismith is to link up with Paul Cook again as he's agreed to join Wigan in July: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44307009 He might do well for them, and I have no reason not to wish him well, but I doubt Wigan fans are going to be all that excited about this.