Portsmouth battling Saudi Arabian club for €1m transfer deal - Bolton failed in 2025 bid | OneFootball

Portsmouth are linked with Jesper Ceesay, one year after Bolton Wanderers were linked with him

Portsmouth's goal for their third season back in the Championship is to push further towards mid-table and relieve any dangers of being in yet another relegation battle.

Pompey were unable to make those strides in their sophomore year in the second tier, finishing with one more point than their return campaign but dropping two places to 18th. It wasn't until the third-from-last game of the season that they secured their safety.

The fact that more points resulted in a lower position highlights how strong the 2025/26 campaign was as a whole in the Championship compared to the year before, and the same is set to be said in the upcoming season, too, especially given the three promoted sides from League One.

Bolton Wanderers are back in the second tier after seven years away, after finally winning the play-offs at the third time of asking in League One.

The Trotters may have been in the wilderness for some time, but they feel they belong at least in the Championship, if not the Premier League, so they'll be looking to hit the ground running and go ahead of the likes of Portsmouth in their bid to remain in the division in their first year back.

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Portsmouth manager John Mousinho knows what it takes to keep his side in the division, and called on the higher-ups at Fratton Park to add more money to the budget to help them push further up the table.

It's been revealed that a budget increase of 16 per cent has been added to the squad this summer, and Pompey could be shopping in Turkey for one of their first deals of the window.

According to Swedish outlet Expressen, Portsmouth have launched a €1 million [£861,000] bid for Antalyaspor defensive midfielder Jesper Ceesay, and will rival Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Fateh to take him away from the Süper Lig side.

Ceesay has only been at Antalyaspor for one season, after arriving there from Swedish side Norrkoping last summer. The 24-year-old was born in Sweden, but has since made three senior international caps for The Gambia.

The midfielder appeared in 31 of his side's 34 league outings in his debut campaign, as Akrepler finished 11th in the Turkish top flight. He didn't contribute to any goals, but was among the top players in his position in the league when it came to defensive stats.

Per Fotmob, Ceesay ranked in the top five per cent of defensive midfielders in the division for defensive contributions and clearances, the top 10% when it came to interceptions, and the top 12 per cent for tackles.

Expressen states that Pompey have been following him for a long time, and with good reason, too. The tough-tackling midfielder would be a solid addition at Fratton Park, backing up fellow countryman Ebou Adams in the engine room.

Bolton Wanderers almost took Jesper Ceesay to the EFL last summer

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Ceesay isn't a complete unknown to one of Portsmouth's rivals ahead of next season in the Championship. Indeed, this time last year, the defensive midfielder was linked with a switch to the Toughsheet Stadium to help Bolton get out of League One.

It was reported at the time that Wanderers had agreed a £350,000 fee with Norrkoping to sign the midfielder, but the move fell flat, with Ceesay's agent reportedly stating that "it was never interesting for us to go there" last summer.

One year on, the 24-year-old may be on his way to England, and off the back of a very strong campaign in Turkey's top flight. While he isn't the most well-rounded midfielder, he looks to be a good defensive asset.

If Portsmouth can secure his signature, it could be one of the first steps in ensuring that John Mousinho's side doesn't get overtaken by Bolton and their fellow newly promoted sides this season.