Portsmouth on the verge of signing Crystal Palace player in 6-figure deal | OneFootball

Franco Umeh had previously rejected a contract offer from the Premier League outfit to stay

Portsmouth FC are set to sign Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland under-21 winger Franco Umeh on a permanent deal.

Pompey currently sit eighth in the Championship table after four games, having made seven signings already during the summer window.

Umeh joined Palace from Irish side Cork City in 2023 for a nominal fee of around €75k after the Eagles triggered his release clause.

The left-footed winger scored five goals in eight games for the under-18's in his first four months, but has been unable to break through into the first-team setup at Selhurst Park - he's now looking likely to be off to pastures new.

Portsmouth set to land Crystal Palace winger Franco Umeh

What initially started as discussions over a potential season-long loan for Umeh has developed into negotiations for a full transfer in the region of £500,000, according to BBC's Chris Wise and Alex Howell.

The young Irishman has had experience training with Crystal Palace's first-team and was named on the bench for their away match against Manchester City last season - though he is yet to make his senior debut.

Perhaps Umeh's best moment for the Eagles' academy came when he scored the only goal in the Premier League International Cup final against Jong PSV, helping Palace's under-21's win the trophy 1-0.

Over his time in the South London club's youth system, Umeh has played 61 times across multiple age groups and scored 21 goals, playing in multiple positions on the wing and at wing-back too.

It was previously reported that League One side Exeter City were exploring a loan move for Umeh earlier last month, but he's now set to make a bigger move to Fratton Park.

Franco Umeh wants first-team football - John Mousinho can offer that at Portsmouth

The 20-year-old's contract situation has seemingly played a huge role in Pompey's ability to negotiate this deal into a permanent one.

Umeh's contract at Palace was set to expire at the end of this season, but they are guaranteeing a decent fee for his services to move him on.

The Umeh news comes after Mousinho was told by Pompey's recruitment team that their star winger Josh Murphy "isn't for sale", following Wise reporting that Leicester City were interested in him.

Pompey boss Mousinho also came out and admitted that he wanted to sign another winger - and Umeh is going to be the chosen one.

With the transfer window closing at 7pm on Monday, Portsmouth seemingly appear confident of completing this deal before the deadline.

For Umeh, the move is a chance to finally make the step up to senior football after consistently impressing at youth level, but there will be some pressure to deliver almost instantly, given the shortage of wide options that Mousinho has.