Portsmouth FC plotting fourth bid to sign defender | OneFootball

Portsmouth are set to retry signing Hayden Matthews.

Portsmouth are set to renew their interest in Australian centre-back Hayden Matthews.

This is according to The News, who have revealed John Mousinho's side will once again target the Sydney FC player.

During the summer, Pompey were believed to have had three bids rejected for the 20-year-old, with the final offer standing at £900,000.

Instead of returning with a fourth offer, John Mousinho looked elsewhere and eventually fell on Fulham's Ibane Bowat, whom they signed for £500,000, according to The Sun's live transfer blog (12:05pm, 30th August)

Unfortunately, before he could make his debut, Bowat ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee in training and is out for the rest of the campaign. This has been followed by defensive injuries to Conor Shaughnessy, Zak Swanson, Jordan Williams and Jacob Farrell, who will be out for an extended period of time.

Ultimately, Mousinho's hand has been forced, and he has now requested Matthews as an extra addition to his defence.

Portsmouth return for Hayden Matthews

As detailed above, Pompey will enter the January window looking for a defender, and rekindling their interest in Matthews is their priority.

Having recently made his debut for Australia and a contract running until 2027, it seems likely that Mousinho's team will have to pay well in excess of the £900,000 they were originally offering.

Additionally, with a further six months of first-team football under his belt, his value is likely to increase week by week.

If signed, it would represent another capture from the A-League, where Portsmouth have already added several individuals, including Kusini Yengi and Farrell. In addition, former Central Coast Mariners winger Sammy Silvera plays for them, having joined on loan from Middlesbrough in the summer.

However, the Australian experiment has yet to deliver the desired results. Both Yengi and Silvera have struggled to make a significant impact this season, while Farrell has managed just one appearance for Pompey due to a series of injuries disrupting his time on the South Coast.

Despite these setbacks, it shouldn't deter Portsmouth from chasing Matthews, who has shown glimpses to suggest he has what it takes to make it in the Championship.

One major concern in the scouting of Matthews would be that he has very little experience, being only 20-years-old.

In a team that is desperate for points at the bottom of the Championship, knowledge of a situation can be crucial. While the young Australian undoubtedly has a future monetary value to Pompey, how much he increases the chances of them staying up is unknown.

Instead, a move for a more second-tier ready centre-back makes sense as they could be thrust straight into the first-team squad without any risk involved.

This doesn't mean Matthews is a write-off, but given he has made just 26 first-team appearances to date, he will more likely be a player for the future.

For these reasons, Mousinho's team should look at making more than one addition at the back as a concoction of injuries and inexperience will likely only lead to relegation back to League One.