In an attempt to sign Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews prior to Friday’s transfer deadline, Portsmouth has been thwarted for the third time.

This is according to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, who thinks Pompey has made several attempts to sign the 20-year-old.

The 6′ 3″ defender joined Sydney’s first squad at the close of the previous season and has made 18 appearances so far.

 

Considering that Matthews has experience playing for their reserve team, moving to England might be the next important step in his career as he tries to establish himself.

Even while the A-League is getting better, it is still not as good as English football’s second division, thus the defender will undoubtedly look to relocate.

It’s obvious that the Sky Blues don’t want to let him go, but it will be difficult for the Australian team to reject Portsmouth’s offer if they can make one.

Ex-Newcastle United star in discussions to sign with Portsmouth FC

After successfully acquiring Matt Ritchie from Newcastle United this summer, Portsmouth is currently in negotiations with Paul Dummett.

As previously mentioned, Pompey has been refused a third time after Sydney rejected their proposal.

Presumably among their primary objectives prior to the deadline closing, the estimated amount of the proposed charge was approximately £900,000.

But Sydney won’t budge, and the player’s contract expires in 2027, so the South Coast team will have to make a better offer once more.

The limited amount of time left in the timeframe further complicates this arrangement. There is also a considerable time constraint since, if Matthews is still in Australia, he will need to fly to England for a medical and to finalize the paperwork.

It’s unclear if this would be feasible, but if not, Pompey will need to shift their attention in order to acquire a new player to their center defense.

 

Portsmouth’s problems on defense

 

John Mousinho is still worried about his defense even if his team

GEThasn’t lost yet this season. Conor Shaughnessy, Ryley Towler, and Zak Swanson have all played well, but Regan Poole and Tom McIntyre’s injuries remain a major concern.

It is therefore not surprising that Pompey is looking to add a new center back in this case.

Matthews, who is 20 years old, is not likely to start for the first team when he gets to Fratton Park, but given the back’s ongoing fitness issues, he might be called upon sooner rather than later.

An accomplished Championship player would be more helpful if Portsmouth decides to search elsewhere because they don’t want to take the chance of giving up a ton of goals.

But now that the sum has surpassed £1 million, Mousinho and the Pompey administration will need to decide if they believe Matthews is worth that much money.

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