Portsmouth

A new episode of BBC Radio Solent's Who Needs Mourinho podcast is now available.

Former Portsmouth striker Guy Whittingham joins Chris Wise and Andy Moon to chat about all things Pompey.

They look back on the EFL Cup loss at West Ham and discuss the arrival of Abu Kamara.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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The 72+ podcast is BACK and it's got a brand new home.

Follow along as Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff dive into the biggest stories across the EFL, with expert analysis, exclusive guests and the moments everyone is talking about.

A new episode drops on Tuesday night so make sure not to miss it by clicking subscribe on the new 72+: The EFL Podcast BBC Sounds page here.

Andrew Moon
BBC Sport, Hampshire

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Fans usually take a 'glass half-full' approach in August. For those looking, there were positives against West Ham in the Carabao Cup first round.

For 40 minutes, Pompey were excellent and deservedly ahead. Rocco Shein continued his good pre-season form. Adrian Segecic still has his scoring boots.

On the flip side, the Blues threw away an excellent position against a lacklustre West Ham side who spent most of the day in first gear.

The Hammers still possess Premier League quality, though, and that was the difference

John Mousinho's view that Portsmouth have the "basis of a good side" is a fair assessment.

Deals for Abu Kamara and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen are all but sealed. Add a good holding midfielder, another left-back and possibly a centre-half and there's reason for optimism.

The lack of quality depth in certain areas remains a concern. It's a big few weeks coming up on and off the pitch.

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Can't get enough of your beloved Championship club? Fear not.

BBC Sport covers all 24 Championship sides with dedicated online and radio reporters at hand to tell the story from every angle.

Expect match reports, analysis, in-depth features, interviews, fan views, quizzes - the works.

We'll also have live text pages for every Championship match this season so you won't miss any of the action even when you're out of town.

Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.

Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.

And when following your Championship team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications which gives you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.

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Portsmouth manager John Mousinho admits they still need to sign a number of new players before the transfer window shuts on 1 September.

The Championship side have already made six summer signings as they look to build on finishing 16th and 18th in their two seasons since promotion from League One in 2024.

Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent: "There's definite gaps that we need to fill, and we are fully aware of what and where they are. Some are more significant than others.

"I've been pretty clear that we want to make further additions, and I think it's absolutely necessary that we do make further additions.

"We've done some good business so far, but we're a long way from where we need to be at the back end of August."

Portsmouth are currently being linked with Hull City winger Abu Kamara, Antalyaspor midfielder Jesper Ceesay and 17-year-old Chelsea winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.

Mousinho added: "There will be loans, we're trying not to rely on too many, but ultimately over the past couple of seasons we've ended with six loans on both occasions.

"The current state is very difficult to assess at this stage of the season. We're not going to take loans for the sake of it, but we'll see what crops up."

Pompey have been handed arguably the toughest possible tie in round one of the League Cup, with an away trip to relegated Premier League side West Ham United on Saturday.

Mousinho says his current squad is ready to face what he calls "a huge challenge", but a situation that also presents "a lot of opportunities".

"They're a massive club, with massive expectation. A huge amount in terms of resource and a side that have only very recently won a European trophy.

"We want to try and progress in the cup. We'll be at full strength to try and win it, but we're probably not quite there with the squad at the moment. It will be our starting eleven at this stage of the season."

BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon discusses Pompey's ambitions to sign Hull City winger Abu Kamara.

He also talks about other potential incomings, including a deal for midfielder Jesper Ceesay from Turkish club Antalyaspor and a loan move for 17-year-old Chelsea winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.

Listen above or on BBC sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds

Dan George & Andrew Moon
BBC Sport, Hampshire

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Portsmouth are progressing in their pursuit of Hull City winger Abu Kamara.

BBC Radio Solent reports that the Blues are getting closer to signing the 23-year-old but a potential deal is not yet complete.

He spent the 2023-24 season on loan from Norwich at Fratton Park where Pompey won the League One title and Kamara played a key role under John Mousinho.

Following his loan spell he signed for Hull City where he has gone on to make 40 appearances, but spent last season on loan at Spanish side Getafe.

A new episode of BBC Radio Solent's Who Needs Mourinho podcast is now available.

Chris Wise and Andy Moon look back on Pompey's eventful summer and ahead to the new campaign. How are they doing with recruitment and what is still needed?

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds

Hull City's English forward Abu Kamara looks likely to re-join former side Portsmouth over the next coming days as negotiations with the 23-year-old's agent advance. (Fabrizio Romano via X, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

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Huddersfield Town have signed Portsmouth defender Ibane Bowat for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 23-year-old former Scotland Under-21 international scored twice in 17 league appearances for Pompey.

Having spent his academy years with Chelsea and Fulham, Bowat played in both the Netherlands and Austria before joining Portsmouth in 2024.

He could make his debut for Town in Saturday's Carabao Cup first-round tie against Preston North End.

"Ibane is a positive addition to our squad, he's a good age and has been at clubs with a reputation for developing talent," boss Martin Drury told the club website., external

Portsmouth are closing in on a deal for 24-year-old Gambian midfielder Jesper Ceesay from Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor. (Portsmouth News), external

For more EFL transfer rumours, read Tuesday's full gossip column here.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with your club's latest news.

Watch back BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth FC Fans' Forum for 2026.

Andrew Moon hosted the hour-long forum at Fratton Park in the Victory Suite alongisde some key members of the club.

Head coach John Mousinho, captain Marlon Pack, CEO Andrew Cullen and Pompey Women's manager Jay Sadler were all at at the top table and asked questions by the supporters.

Forward the video above to the 28 minute mark to begin watching the forum.

Pack was quizzed on his fitness and revealed that his progress is ahead of schedule while Andrew Cullen detailed how the club are trying to improve off the pitch.

The majority of questions were directed to John Moushino who spoke about managing injuries, new signings and if he tried to lose cup games on purpose!

Relive the action as it happened on the Portsmouth page of the BBC Sport website.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

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They say never go back. Although I don't know who "they" are and they'd be spectacularly wrong if considering Marlon Pack's return to Portsmouth.

He's made a huge contribution to the success of the past three years. Matt Ritchie and John Swift less so, but they've proved useful additions.

The possible return of Abu Kamara would feel on a different level. It would be the most celebrated Pompey transfer for some time.

Why? Well, Rocco Shein and Marko Milovanovic may turn out to be excellent additions. But most fans won't have heard of them before they were linked to the club.

When they hear Kamara's name they think of him terrorising defenders and brilliant goals and assists as Pompey won League One. Being a football fan is all about emotions and those memories are more powerful than anything an unknown new signing can bring.

By the end of that season he was one of the best players in the third tier.

Everyone in the Championship is looking for what I'd call a "unicorn". A player they can sign for a few million and sell on at a massive profit within the next couple of years. Think Middlesbrough paying £1.5m for Morgan Rogers in 2023. I watched Kamara that season and thought he could be one of those players.

Hull ended up buying Kamara two years ago for a fee which was widely reported to total £4.5million including add-ons. It's possible none of the add-ons have been hit and, although the initial fee was undisclosed, it's likely to have been £3million at the very least.

That summer, Portsmouth were not in the market to pay that amount of money - £3million was comfortably more than their entire outlay that window.

Even if they had been able to match Hull's money, would Kamara have been a good signing? He certainly hasn't been for Hull. One season in the Championship with limited impact and one on loan, with much of it spent injured. They will do well to recover their original spend on him.

So why do Portsmouth want him? They need a right-winger, it was a problem position last season. Kamara still has huge potential. He knows he'd be loved at Pompey. There'll be no forced apology videos for the terrible crime of liking a Paddy Lane tweet.

John Mousinho got the best out of him and would believe he could do so again.

That isn't always straightforward. Mousinho was very keen to sign Gavin Whyte, a player he knew very well, a few years ago. That move did not pan out. It doesn't mean he shouldn't trust his judgement though. Mousinho and Richard Hughes have got a lot more right than wrong over the past few years.

Will Kamara return? There is optimism within Portsmouth. I'd potentially go as far to say it's more likely than not. After Luke Graham though, Pompey don't need reminding this summer that being close to a deal isn't the same as completing one.

Would Kamara be a good signing and can he reach his potential? Hopefully those are debates we're having in the near future.

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Blackpool have signed Portsmouth defender Jordan Williams on loan for the 2026-27 season.

The 26-year-old can play in any of the back-four positions, but is principally a right-back.

Williams began his career at hometown club Huddersfield Town, where he won England youth honours, before moving to Barnsley after making one cup appearance for the Terriers.

In the first of his six seasons with the Tykes, Williams helped the club back into the Championship but they were relegated after three seasons and he joined Pompey in the summer of 2024.

Seasiders coach Ian Evatt said, external Williams has been enlisted for his "versatility and experience".

Portsmouth striker Thomas Waddingham says he wants to compete for a place in the team after recovering from a long-term injury.

Since arriving from Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar in January 2025, the 21-year-old's time at Fratton Park has been severely hampered by injury.

Waddingham has only made 11 appearances for Pompey in the Championship so far, scoring one goal.

He had to undergo surgery on his thigh last season, which kept him out for most of the campaign, but is now "fully fit".

"Hopefully I can push towards playing as much as I can and more minutes," Waddingham told BBC Radio Solent after scoring a goal in the 3-1 pre-season defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

"I think that's the main focus - staying fit and staying available so I can help the team.

"That's all I really want to do, just get out on the field and play as much as possible. That's why you play football."

The Australian will be in direct competition with Colby Bishop and new signing Marko Milovanovic for the number nine shirt at Portsmouth.

Waddingham added: "Three strikers now, so it's definitely going to make it tougher for me, but not in a bad way.

"I think we're all going to push each other and that can only really be good for the team."

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Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho has revealed that new striker signing Marko Milovanovic is "weeks away" from being match fit for the Blues.

Pompey completed a £3m deal for the Serbian on Friday to bolster a forward group that features Colby Bishop, Thomas Waddingham and Franco Umeh.

Mousinho is hoping that Milovanovic will be available soon, with just three weeks until the Blues start their Championship season.

"Unfortunately for Marko he's not been training [fully]," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"He's been training on his own and keeping himself fit [but] he's a long way off being match ready and being match fit.

"He's probably about three or four weeks away from being available - we'll see him in training and we'll maybe build him up over the next couple of weeks. We'd love players to come in and be ready straight away, but it's not the case here.

"We're delighted to get the deal done. It's one we've been trying to get over the line for a while and was really slow, we had to be patient to make sure that we got the right player at the right time."

The move to Fratton Park marks Milovanovic's first spell in English football having previously played for Partizan Belgrade, Almeria and FC Alverca on loan.

A Portsmouth side played against Wycombe on Saturday as they lost 3-1 at Adams Park in a friendly, Waddingham scoring the Pompey goal.

They have won one of their four pre-season games so far, beating Woking before defeat by Aldershot and a draw against Bristol Rovers.

Portsmouth visit West Ham United in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday, 8 August before hosting QPR in their Championship opener a week later.