Portsmouth have acted quickly so far this summer to supply their squad with the requisite reinforcements ahead of their long-awaited return to the Championship after lifting the 2023/24 League One title.
The early signs are that despite returning to the second-tier for the first time in over a decade, Pompey are well-placed to hold their own in the division under the tutelege of John Mousinho.
The highly-rated 38-year-old has likely already pulled off Portsmouth’s marquee summer capture by prizing away Josh Murphy on a free transfer from former club Oxford United, who themselves gained promotion as the winger scored both goals in their play-off final victory over Bolton Wanderers in May.
The ex-Norwich and Cardiff City forward has been accompanied by Jordan Williams, Sammy Silvera and Jordan Archer in heading to Fratton Park this summer and while further fresh faces will naturally be expected, Mousinho will also be keen to offload players set to have little impact in their much-anticipated Championship crusade.
With that in mind, Football League World has rounded up four players who will surely be heading out of the exit door before August 30 rolls around.
Anthony Scully
Anthony Scully was signed last summer from Wigan Athletic in a move that felt like a real statement of intent from Pompey in consideration of the Irish winger’s previous exploits with Lincoln City.
Anthony Scully’s career stats, as per FotMob | |||||
Season | Club | Division | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
2019/20 | Lincoln City | League One | 5 | 2 | 1 |
2020/21 | Lincoln City | League One | 43 | 11 | 4 |
2021/22 | Lincoln City | League One | 35 | 11 | 7 |
2022/23 | Lincoln City | League One | 5 | 1 | 1 |
2022/23 | Wigan Athletic | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 |
2023/24 | Portsmouth | League One | 6 | 0 | 0 |
But despite his proven pedigree in League One, his time on the south coast simply hasn’t gone according to plan and it would be no real surprise to see Portsmouth cut their losses in the coming weeks.
The 25-year-old has endured a torrid time of it with injuries and has played very little football over the last two years so it seems unlikely that Mousinho will entrust him too much in the Championship, especially following the exciting additions of Murphy and Silvera.
Mousinho appeared to leave the door open to multiple possibilities concerning Scully when he spoke earlier this summer.
Gavin Whyte
Another signing from the previous summer, Gavin Whyte could also see his immediate future with the club called into question amid Mousinho’s pursuit of bolstering his wide options.
Whyte too has a solid body of work at League One level, where he had made 14 goals and assists apiece during two-and-a-half years with Oxford and Hull City. He made more than 40 Championship appearances while with Cardiff City but having only returned a solitary goal during his time in the second-tier with the Bluebirds, he likely won’t be too high in Mousinho’s thinking moving forward.
He’s simply not up to the level and it feels like the best option for all parties if he’s moved on this summer.
Tom Lowery
Portsmouth’s recruitment has been strong in many regards, but they’ve also had some real stings in the transfer market and Tom Lowery, unfortunately, is one such example.
Much was expected from Lowery upon signing from Crewe Alexandra two summers ago and he’s shown fleeting moments of real promise in a blue shirt, although injuries have been a real sore spot and he’s ultimately failed to replicate the performances that earned attention with the Railwaymen.
Pompey supporters will want Lowery to stay put and he may well, but once again, it’s hard to see him featuring too much in the Championship and a summer switch might be just what he needs to relaunch his career.
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Reuben Swann
Southern Premier League Division Central outfit AFC Sudbury have earned a fair penchant for developing young EFL talent in recent years, with Josh Stokes making the move to Aldershot and then Bristol City before Reuben Swann joined Portsmouth this summer.
The 18-year-old midfielder is evidently a signing for the future, though, and it would be a tall order to expect him to instantly acclimate to the Championship. He could well spend time with Portsmouth’s under-21 set-up to begin with, although the most rational course of action would be to sanction a loan deal for him to gain further experience in the senior game.