Portsmouth finally to sign £11m Oxford United ‘star striker’ as they battle with Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Derby County and QPR

Portsmouth finally to sign £11m Oxford United ‘star striker’ as they battle with Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Derby County and QPR

 

Pompey will be hoping that their effort to be personal pays off in a close race for Josh Murphy.

 

The Oxford United winger’s bond with John Mousinho will be crucial to the Blues’ efforts to get him to Fratton Park.

 

The News has learned that Murphy is on Pompey’s summer shopping list following the revelation last month that the 29-year-old was linked to them.

 

Murphy has been linked to a number of Championship teams, including Sunderland, West Brom, Derby, Stoke, Blackburn, and QPR.

Murphy’s strong play throughout the second part of the previous season has raised interest in him.

 

The player, who cost £11 million to go from Norwich to Cardiff in 2018, scored 10 goals,

the last two of which helped his team defeat Bolton in the League One play-off final.

 

With many eyes on the Londoner, Murphy’s impressive form has undoubtedly made the odds of closing a trade more difficult.

 

The former England under-20 international has also expressed his satisfaction with Oxford, and his promotion will help them hold onto him.

But one important tool in Pompey’s arsenal is that Mousinho knows Murphy from their days together at the Kassam Stadium.

It is believed that will help the Blues when Murphy’s two-year contract with the U’s expires and he becomes a free agency.

 

This summer, Pompey will undoubtedly prioritize wide areas as they seek to greatly enhance their team in preparation for their Championship.

Murphy fits the bill to give the Blues’ lineup a boost of speed,

so they’ll probably want to acquire more than one winger.

In that area, Pompey now has access to Paddy Lane and Callum Lang.

Gavin Whyte and Anthony Scully’s futures are also in jeopardy following challenging rookie campaigns at Fratton Park.