adminHow Portsmouth pounced to land ‘number one’ target in surprise deal for former Leicester City man
They chased the Peterborough United man hard last year, but a move to Germany followed. John Mousinho was surprised to see a Josh Knight deal surface this summer – with a deal sealed at breakneck speed.
John Mousinho admitted Pompey were taken aback by Josh Knight’s availability as they landed their long-running prime defensive target.
And the Blues boss has revealed the factors which paved the way for the former Leicester City man’s pacy arrival from PO4, as his £1m capture from German outfit Hannover 96 was sealed.
Mousinho: ‘Josh Knight was one of our number one targets’
Knight is waiting patiently for Fratton playing time, with one late cameo against Preston before the international break to his name so far.
Despite impressive pairing Conor Shaughnessy and Regan Poole being favoured, Mousinho has made it clear how highly Knight is valued by Pompey’s football operation.
Mousinho explained Knight was at the top of the Blues’ defensive shopping list last summer, before he opted to try his luck on the continent when leaving Peterborough United.
The arrival of new Hannover coach Christian Titz this summer changed the picture for the 28-year-old at the Niedersachsenstadion, however, leading to an opportunity to revive a move Pompey weren’t expecting.
Mousinho said: ‘Josh was one of our number one targets last summer. We didn’t manage to secure his services as he went over to Germany, so when he became available we snapped up the chance.
‘It all happened a week or so before we signed him, it all unfolded relatively quickly with Josh.
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‘He had a lot of suitors off the back of the season he had for Peterborough, when they lost in the play-offs to Oxford and were one of the outstanding sides in the division of that year competing with us for one of the automatic promotion spots for much of the season.
‘I thought he fully deserved his move and played well out in Germany, so we were surprised he was available. I think there was a managerial change there and we managed to be the benefactors of that, now he’s ready to feature.’
Knight knows Poole and Shaughnessy are ‘doing very well’
Knight currently has a job on his hands forcing his way into the Pompey starting XI, with both Shaughnessy and Poole in excellent form so far this term. Both defenders were in outstanding form at Southampton last Sunday, with a third clean sheet in five Championship games collected and the Blues shipping three league goals to date.
Mousinho added: ‘We brought Josh in and know everything about him.
‘He’s coming in to challenge for a centre-half spot and he’s been very, very good in training. He’s been at it, but it’s been an adjustment period coming over from Germany.
‘First of all he’s bringing the family over and making sure he slots into life in Portsmouth. He’s done that very well and the international break has helped, now he’s right there and ready to challenge.
‘Josh wants to play there’s no doubt about that. I want the players to play as well, but he’s a sensible and smart young lad who knows the two in there at the minute are doing very well. The same applies to all the centre-backs we’ve got in the building.’
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