[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid from Austrian side BW Linz for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old has agreed a two-year contract with a club option for another 12 months.

Schmid made 31 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, keeping nine clean sheets.

Blues boss John Mousinho said, external: “We’ve added an experienced keeper who’s probably at the peak of his career right now.

“He comes having played at the top level of Austrian football and so we’re delighted to have him in the building.

He added: “Nicolas is an excellent shot-stopper and has a good range of kicking. He adds to what’s already a really strong goalkeeping unit.”

Schmid helped BW Linz finish 10th in the Austrian Bundesliga last term and featured in the opening two games of the current campaign.

Schmid will 'battle' for No 1 spot - Moon
Will Norris currently holds the No 1 spot as Portsmouth's starting keeper and made 47 appearances across all competitions last season.

BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon said the club's latest addition will push him for that starting position:

"Earlier in the summer John Mousinho had been discussing bringing in a third-choice goalkeeper but Schmid is very much someone who will battle Norris for the No 1 shirt.

"Norris was a very consistent presence throughout last season and was given the player-of-the-match award in the draw against Luton Town on Saturday, it would feel harsh to drop him at this stage.

"Norris held off Matt Macey in the second half of last season. He will need to keep performing at a high level to keep Schmid out of the Pompey side, and that’s assuming the Austrian isn’t thrown straight in as first choice, a big choice for Mousinho for make."

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed winger Harvey Blair from Liverpool for a fee BBC Sport understands to be £300,000.

The 20-year-old Liverpool academy product has signed a three-year contract at Fratton Park.

Blair joined Liverpool in 2015 and was handed his senior debut by former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup in October 2021.

“Harvey’s a fantastic young player, who has shown plenty of potential after coming through Liverpool’s academy," said Portsmouth manager John Mousinho.

“He’s been heavily involved with the first team during pre-season and shown a huge amount of both talent and promise."

Blair featured in all three of Liverpool's pre-season games in the United States this summer but has been allowed to leave after the arrival of new head coach Arne Slot.

Portsmouth will face Middlesbrough on Saturday at the Riverside Stadium.

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed teenage Brighton and Hove Albion striker Mark O’Mahony on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old, who scored in the Seagulls' 4-0 Carabao Cup win over Crawley Town on Tuesday, moved to Brighton from Cork City in January 2023.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international played three times in the Premier League last season, starting in Brighton's 3-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth on 28 April.

“He’s a striker who can hold the ball up well and link play, while also getting in the box to score goals," Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told the club website.

“Mark is a real physical presence and he has a lot of the attributes we want to see from a centre-forward, so I’m looking forward to working with him."

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Scotland Under-21 international defender Ibane Bowat from Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.

He spent last season on loan at Austrian Bundesliga side TSV Hartberg, making 31 appearances.

“He’s a promising young defender, who can have a positive impact on the squad right away," Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told the club website, external.

“Ibane is a cultured and athletic player who’s comfortable on the ball and also enjoys his defending."

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Bristol City centre-back Rob Atkinson on loan until the end of the season.

Atkinson has not made a first-team appearance in almost two years after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury on 18 February 2023 and makes the move to "get match minutes" according to his parent club.

The 26-year-old played for the Robins' under-21 side this winter as he built up his fitness ahead of a return, and has been an unused substitute for 11 of their past 12 Championship matches.

"The loan move will allow Rob to get valuable minutes at this level, which will continue to aid his return from injury," said Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion.

Atkinson, whose current deal with Bristol City runs until 2026, has made 66 appearances for the club, scoring six goals, since signing from Oxford United in 2021.

"Rob is a proven Championship centre-half, who is excellent defensively and very dominant," said Portsmouth manager John Mousinho.

"He can also handle bringing the ball out from the back."


A centre-back and a central midfielder are Portsmouth's top priorities in this window, so they'll be pleased to get one of them in so quickly.

John Mousinho knows Rob Atkinson from their time together at Oxford United and Atkinson proved himself a very capable Championship defender before suffering a serious knee injury.

In some ways it's surprising he's been allowed to leave on loan but he's yet to play a minute of football this season. Portsmouth and Bristol City will be hoping it isn't long before he's back to his best.

Pompey want at least one further addition before their trip to Blackburn Rovers on 15 January.

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden on loan until the end of the season.

It is the latest in a series of loans for the 29-year-old, who has not played for the Magpies since a 4-0 defeat by Manchester City in December 2021.

He has yet to play a senior match this term after spending last season on loan at Standard Liege, in Belgium, and Queens Park Rangers.

Hayden has scored seven goals in 171 appearances for Newcastle since signing for the club in 2016, the summer after they had been relegated to the Championship.

He played 33 games as the Magpies won the league to earn promotion back to the top tier at the first opportunity, scoring twice.

"Isaac is a central midfielder who has a wealth of experience in the Premier League and Championship," Pompey boss John Mousinho told the club's website., external

"He's extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet and is also very strong defensively, possessing a lot of the attributes we were looking for.

"But he's also a leader both on and off the pitch, so we're delighted to be able to add him to the squad for the rest of the season."

Hayden came through the academy at Arsenal, spending a season on loan Hull City, before moving to St James' Park.

He joined Norwich City on loan in the 2022-23 season, making 14 appearances for the Canaries, and has two international caps for Jamaica.

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have agreed a deal to sign Australia Under-23 striker Thomas Waddingham, BBC Radio Solent reports.

The 19-year-old has four goals in 11 appearances this season for the Brisbane Roar in the Australian A League.

As an under-21 player Waddingham will not count towards Portsmouth's 25 man squad limit.

The Blues have already signed defender Rob Atkinson and Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden on loan so far in the January transfer window.

Waddingham has been at the Roar through their academy sides and has made 34 appearances for them in the A League, scoring 11 goals.

He has also been capped and scored twice for Australia's U20's side

While most of Portsmouth's January business is focused on the short-term and staying in the Championship, Waddingham is a long-term prospect.

The club won't be loaning him out and he'll have the chance to impress in training and force his way into the side, although dislodging Colby Bishop given how he's playing is a huge challenge.

Pompey have landed a much coveted young player and even with Championship survival on the line aren't abandoning their strategy of trying to sign young players who they can develop and improve.

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Australian striker Thomas Waddingham from Brisbane Roar for an undisclosed fee.

The 19-year-old has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Fratton Park.

Waddingham has scored four goals in 11 games for the A-League side this season.

"He's a really exciting young player, who is coming over here with bags of potential," Pompey boss John Mousinho told the club's website., external

BBC Radio Solent reported on Tuesday that Portsmouth were also closing in on signing Waddingham's fellow Aussie Hayden Matthews from Sydney FC.

Portsmouth have already added both Isaac Hayden on loan from Newcastle and defender Rob Atkinson from Bristol City in another loan deal during the current transfer window.

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Australia defender Hayden Matthews for an undisclosed fee from A-League club Sydney FC.

The 20-year-old, who won his first cap in November, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Championship club.

He is the second Australian to move to Fratton Park this month after striker Thomas Waddingham joined from Brisbane Roar.

Reports in Australia say Portsmouth have paid £1.26m for Matthews - making him the most expensive defender in Australian football.

"He's a really promising young centre-back and player that we've been tracking for quite some time," Portsmouth manager John Mousinho told the club website.

"There wasn't the opportunity to bring him over here in the summer, so we're delighted that he's been able to join us now.

"Hayden is someone with a huge amount of potential, but he's already played a lot of first-team games in a short amount of time.

"He's 6ft 5in, but is also very mobile and doesn't just rely on his height. There's a real physicality there, while he's calm and composed with the ball at his feet."

[themaclad]

Portsmouth have signed Rotherham United left-back Cohen Bramall and brought in Sunderland midfielder Adil Aouchiche on loan.

Bramall, 28, has signed for an undisclosed fee with the former Arsenal youngster agreeing a deal until the end of the current season.

He joined Rotherham in the summer of 2022 and made 102 appearances, including 75 in the Championship.

Former France Under-20 international Aouchiche, 22, has scored twice in 38 appearances since moving to Wearside from Lorient in September 2023.

The pair take Portmouth's number of new recruits to six this month.

"We're delighted to bring in another player who has plenty of experience competing at this level of the game," Pompey boss John Mousinho said of Bramall, external.

"We've now have real competition in the left-back position and I can't wait to get started working with Cohen."

On Aouchiche, he added: "We already saw first-hand just how dangerous he can be when we played Sunderland a few weeks ago.

"He's an incredibly talented young player who will complement the attacking options we already have in the squad."