Portsmouth urged to sign former Peterborough man to replace Andre Dozzell | OneFootball

FLW's Pompey fan pundit feels that the Championship free agent pool won't improve their squad, but does feel Archie Collins would be a good addition

Portsmouth's sole goal next season is to be out of the relegation conversation after a couple of years of late survival.

Pompey collected one more point last season than they did in their first year back in the second tier in 2024/25, but finished two positions lower and only secured their place in the division for a third year in the final few weeks of the campaign.

While no one is expecting John Mousinho's side to return to their former Premier League glory in the coming year, there's an admittance that just surviving isn't sustainable, and more needs to be invested to push the club up the table and away from the relegation zone.

The Portsmouth boss has outlined that, too, and the fact that Mousinho is still in his post, despite links with Bristol City and Stoke City, should give some indication that the Fratton Park-based side is willing to back their head coach this summer.

All eyes will be on Pompey's activity in the upcoming transfer window, both in a spending sense and regarding any free agents that they may look to target this summer, too, out of the vast pool of veteran names with Premier League and Championship experience.

Portsmouth urged to look at Peterborough's Archie Collins, rather than Championship players who may not improve them

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For a side who have been scrapping down at the bottom of the Championship, having experienced, veteran heads in the squad can often prove vital in big games with survival on the line.

But Portsmouth want to get away from being one of those teams, and FLW's Pompey fan pundit, Miltos Ioannidis, doesn't feel that some of those veteran heads would be realistic signings when it comes to wage demands, such as Aaron Cresswell, for example. Especially with helping them push them towards being a mid-table outfit.

"I think that, with climbing up the league and aspiring to have a better team, there comes a time where the free agent pool significantly decreases in terms of quality players with real value for what we need," the fan pundit admitted.

"You look at the list of players, and there are quite a few old, veteran players. They have experience, not just at this level, but in the Premier League, too, like Aaron Cresswell and Tom Davies, but they'll be on high wages, so they're players I don't think we should pursue. Ex-Pompey players, too, like Jed Wallace.

"So, in all honesty, apart from maybe Wallace, who we have been linked with before, I don't look at any of them and think they are realistic signings. Tom Davies is a good player with good experience, but his wage demands would be well off what we would likely offer."

Ioannidis has urged his club to look further away from the Championship free agent pool, perhaps even further down to League One, and target Peterborough United's departing midfielder Archie Collins.

He's just entering his prime years, at 26, and wouldn't command as high a wage as some of the Championship veterans who have spent their entire career on money higher than what Pompey could likely offer.

"You can look at League One and see quality there. I like Peterborough's Archie Collins," he continued. He looks quite similar to Andre Dozzell in terms of characteristics, and we'll definitely be after one player in the summer to replace him.

"Generally, there is a lot of quality elsewhere compared to the free agent pool in the Championship, and if we have aspirations to climb up the league and become a more competitive side, turn from being a relegation-scrapping side to a solid mid-table one who looks to exceed expectations, then we need to spend some cash.

"You look at the free agent list in the Championship, and it's quite limited."

Archie Collins would be a smart signing for Portsmouth this summer

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Collins' position on the released section of the Peterborough retained list this summer came as quite a shock to League One fans, as the 26-year-old has been a reliable man in the engine room throughout Darren Ferguson and Luke Williams' tenures.

He's missed just nine league games in three years at London Road, and last season netted twice and assisted seven times in the third tier — the most goal contributions he's registered in a single league campaign in his career.

With a hole opening up in the midfield due to the departure of Dozzell, who joins DC United this summer, Collins would be a smart signing who could grow into a solid Championship midfielder at Fratton Park.

Given his age, Portsmouth could stand in good stead to make a profit in a few years if he goes from strength to strength in a Pompey shirt, whereas the signings of veteran names would likely leave on a free once more at the end of their contracts.

While more financial backing will likely be afforded to John Mousinho this summer, they'll still have to be astute with their business and ensure they're getting the best value for money deals to help them reach the next level.

High-wage free agents may not be the route to go down, whereas using that money to buy exciting stars while bringing in lower-wage free agents with good upsides could see Portsmouth progress over the next 12 months.