Portsmouth

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth still want five or six more new additions to their squad for the new Championship season but they may not happen quickly, says boss John Mousinho.

Pompey have so far signed only forward Adrian Segecic from Sydney FC this summer and Mousinho is willing to be patient in his search for further new recruits.

"It's been relatively slow in the Championship - it's a strange season because there are still Premier League clubs playing in the Club World Cup which is more like an extension of the 2024-25 season," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"Combine that with the under-19s and under-21s (European Championships) it means movement in the market around the Championship is very slow but I expect that to pick up in the next couple of weeks."

After a slow start last season where Portsmouth failed to win any of their opening nine league games they went on to finish 16th in the table and the head coach is predicting a quieter time in the transfer window.

"It won't be anywhere near as busy as it was for the previous couple of summers but if we make five or six more additions we'll be there," he added.

Portsmouth open the new Championship campaign at Oxford United - the club with whom Mousinho ended his playing career - on 9 August.

The News' chief sports writer Neil Allen says Fratton Park helped Portsmouth through their "baptism of fire" last season - but the club need to string together some away wins in their upcoming second season in the Championship.

Pompey won 11 home games in the second tier last season compared to just three on the road.

"We saw how massive Fratton Park was for Pompey because of the atmosphere, the support, the rapport between the team and the fans. Pompey were beating people left, right and centre there," Allen told BBC Radio Solent.

"Leeds lost there. Burnley drew there. Sheffield United drew there. It was a real fortress.

"But they also need to dramatically improve their away form, with three away wins all season, which is terrible and that's in all competitions as well."

Portsmouth will begin the 2024-25 season with a trip to Oxford United before hosting Norwich City in their first home game the following week.

Listen to Allen's full thoughts and more on BBC Sounds.

The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you've got to look forward to - or dread - from your team this upcoming season.

Here are some key dates to put in your diary:

• 9 August - v Oxford United (A)

• 16 August - v Norwich (H)

• 13 September - v Southampton (A)

• 26 December - v QPR (H)

• 1 January 2026 - v Bristol City (A)

• 24 January - v Southampton (H)

• 2 May - v Birmingham (H)

See Portsmouth's full fixture list here.

Your club will soon discover their schedule for the upcoming EFL season. As soon as Thursday, in fact.

Want to know who your side will face on opening day? The EFL fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that's not all.

The day will be rounded off by the first round of Carabao Cup being drawn at 16:30 BST.

So check back on 26 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.

Image source, Portsmouth FC

Portsmouth players have returned from their holidays to begin the first phase of pre-season.

The club posted pictures of the players undergoing testing and some light running on the grass at their training centre.

The fixtures for the new Championship season are released at 12:00 BST on Thursday.

Portsmouth will be aiming to build on their 16th-place finish last term, which they ended with a five-match unbeaten run.

Portsmouth are set to complete the signing of Australian attacking midfielder Adrian Segecic, 21, who scored 13 goals in 24 A-League games for Sydney FC in 2024-25. (The News), external

Take a look at Tuesday's full gossip column to see the latest transfer news and rumours from the EFL

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Portsmouth are keen on signing former youth player John Swift, 29, after he was released by West Bromwich Albion, while Pompey are also eyeing a move for winger Adrian Segecic, 21, from Australian A-League side Sydney FC. (The News), external

Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

Watford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.

Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.

Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.

Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.

Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.

Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.

The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.

Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.

The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.

Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.

Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.

Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.

The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.

Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.

Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.

Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.

It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.

Data collated from Transfermarkt

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Are Portsmouth a year wiser with a squad that has learned about the Championship or could we see second season syndrome?

They will be hoping it is more of the former next season, so what transfers are required this summer to ensure a successful campaign?

It is worth reflecting on last summer's recruitment - that window was heavily criticised after the poor start to the season.

Elias Sorensen was not up to the Championship, Abdoulaye Kamara has barely featured and Harvey Blair also struggled to adjust to the level. I had forgotten Sammy Silvera had even been a Pompey player.

Ibane Bowat and Jacob Farrell managed just a solitary game between them because of injury and this is a big pre-season ahead for both.

A year on though and it actually looks a fairly decent window.

Josh Murphy was a brilliant free agent signing. The £300,000 for Nicolas Schmid looks an absolute bargain, Matt Ritchie made some telling contributions and Freddie Potts was one of the best loans in recent years.

Add to that a January window where Pompey got exactly what they needed and sporting director Rich Hughes and the recruitment team can feel satisfied.

So what does this summer have in store?

The budget will be increasing however it is still likely to be one of the lowest in the Championship.

Promotion for big spending Birmingham City and Wrexham does not help. It might mean looking abroad for new arrivals, something Pompey have increasingly done in recent windows.

There are areas which are fairly settled and if Ben Killip signs a new deal the goalkeeping position is sorted.

We know the Blues would love to sign Rob Atkinson permanently. If Atkinson was to arrive the defence would be sorted. Tom McIntyre and Ryley Towler are both likely to be allowed to leave and there will be a queue of suitors for the latter.

Midfield will need some work with at least two new central midfielders required. Finding Championship quality starters is challenging and it is unlikely there will be a loan option with as much experience as Potts had in League One.

Signing under-21 players from Premier League clubs with minimal first team games is a big gamble. The free agent market is also much smaller in the Championship than League One.

Avenues that have worked for the past couple of summers might not work this time around.

Colby Bishop, Murphy and Callum Lang will all be pencilled in to start next season.

"Never in my years growing up did I think I'd see Pompey in a cup final. Never."

Portsmouth fan Jeff Harris joins Rick Edwards for the most recent episode of Remember When as they look back on Pompey's FA Cup trophy-winning run back in 2008.

The side beat Cardiff City 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Nwankwo Kanu's first-half goal to secure their second FA Cup trophy - after a 69-year wait.

Listen to the full episode and more of the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicholas Schmid has received his first international call-up for Austria ahead of their World Cup qualifying games.

The 28-year-old has made 35 Championship appearances for Pompey since joining from Austrian side BW Linz in August 2024, keeping eight clean sheets.

The side will face Romania on 7 June before heading to San Marino the following Tuesday.

Right-back Terry Devlin has also been selected for international duty, linking up with Northern Ireland for their upcoming friendlies against Denmark and Iceland.

Image source, Rex Features

Cohen Bramall is grateful for an "amazing time" with Portsmouth - and says he expects the Blues to challenge for the Championship play-offs next season.

The 29-year-old former Rotherham, Lincoln and Colchester left-back made 12 Championship appearances, four of them starts, after arriving at Fratton Park from the Millers in January on a short-term deal.

The one-time Arsenal youngster told BBC Radio Solent that not being offered a new contract by Pompey had not come as a shock, saying: "It wasn't surprising because of the financial situation and the players already in that position.

"I kind of got told that already before I signed. The reason why I signed is that it's Portsmouth, a massive club, and a bigger platform to play on, and I back myself to perform and show the league, the team, myself and other people what I'm all about.

"I appreciate the gaffer being honest with me. He took a gamble on bringing me in. I am more than grateful to him for giving me the opportunity.

"I went from playing two years in the Championship with Rotherham to not really playing a lot in League One under Steve Evans.

"It doesn't look great, a League One player going to a team in that position in the Championship in January - I am guessing the fans would want a higher standard of player, but the fact they welcomed me and gave me the time of day was amazing and refreshing for my mental state.

"Before I came I wasn't in the greatest of headspaces. It wasn't a good time. Fratton Park brought me back to normal. It brought back so much confidence and knowing how well I can play. I got back to my old self.

"I am at peace. I did the best I could. I might have not been offered a deal but it feels good to have played a part in keeping Portsmouth up."

Bramall says he'll "wait and see" where he ends up next season, though he already has an idea where Pompey may find themselves.

"I think play-offs, and that's not stretching it," he said. "Minimum you're looking at top 10 - we finished so strong at home, if we can tidy up a few things with away performances and be more solid, they can 100% creep into the play-offs.

"It's one of the hardest leagues in the world. My first year at Rotherham we stayed up, second year, back-to-back, it's hard to stay up. You have to replicate and more. It was mentally draining, but I think they'll be sweet."

Image source, Rex Features

John Mousinho says he expects a relatively busy summer at Fratton Park, with Pompey eyeing a mix of free-agent signings, purchases and loan players.

The Blues boss told BBC Radio Solent this time of year "is probably busier than usual" but said the club are in a "really strong position" having consolidated in the Championship after promotion and are not in any rush to conduct business.

"Nothing is close at all, we've been tracking players but we're not panicking," he said. "There's definitely a couple of free agents we are interested in but it's likely to be a combination of paying fees for players and bringing loans in."

Mousinho added he felt the club's retained list this year "probably wasn't a controversial one".

Kusini Yengi scored 13 goals in all competitions in 2023-24 as Pompey won League One, but was not offered a new deal after failing to make a telling impact this term, without a goal in 14 appearances.

"He was pivotal in us winning the league last season but for a number of reasons it's not quite happened for him this year, including some injuries," Mousinho admitted.

"It felt like the best way was to not exercise his option and let him explore other options. We're happy where we are in the centre-forward department and didn't see him playing a lot next year."

Also departing is left-back Cohen Bramall, who the Blues signed in January on a deal until the end of the season, with Mousinho adding: "It was a good opportunity for him to showcase himself and I think he did well, had a very solid contribution to us managing to stay up and was a very positive influence."

The club hope keeper Ben Killip will agree a new deal while they have exercised their option to keep former Arsenal right-back Zak Swanson, with Mousinho saying: "He ended up starting 24 games this year - when he has played I think he's looked every inch a Championship right-back."

He added: "There's nothing we are absolutely desperate to do. What we don't want to do is let players go too early and then not necessarily have replacements. It's probably going to be a case of waiting to bring players in before we let players go.

"It won't be like it has been for the past two summers. It won't be 14 through the door. It won't be one or two. I suspect it'll probably land halfway between them. We're not going to force anything."

One of those who remains on the radar is Bristol City defender Rob Atkinson, who enjoyed a successful loan at Pompey to finish the season.

"Everyone knows we're there and perfectly willing to do a deal for Rob but he's Bristol City's player and we'll see what they do with him first," Mousinho said.

"If they had gone up it probably would have made things slightly more straightforward but it depends on them."

'Have the club made the right calls, plus what does the summer recruitment look like?'

In the final Who Needs Mourinho? of the season, Chris Wise, Andy Moon and Guy Whittingham look at Pompey's retained list.

Were the club right to release Kusini Yengi and keep Zak Swanson?

There's also your questions answered in Moon's Musings.

Click here to listen to BBC Radio Solent's Who Needs Mourinho podcast via BBC Sounds.