The Revolving Door

Last updated : 23 April 2008 By Jim Bonner
You can always expect summer to be busy with Harry Redknapp around, and with transfer talk already gathering pace before the season is even over I think it's a good time to have a look at who Pompey will be looking to buy and sell come June.

GOING OUT

Pedro Mendes & Sean Davis

It was reported yesterday that Mendes and Davis might leave because they can't hold down a first team place (through no real fault of their own) and that Harry will need to raise cash for players he'll want to bring in come the summer.

Everton have been linked with a move for Davis whilst Mendes' house is reportedly up for sale as he looks to move abroad. I don't think we could afford to let both leave without bringing in replacements and I also feel that both are better players than Diop.

However, neither player fits into the "strong" midfield that Harry likes and that's why I think they'll end up being surplus to requirements. If one of them had to leave then I'd pick Davis as he's probably worth more money and Pedro is one of only few creative midfielders we have at the club.

I'd like to see both stay but I won't be at all surprised to see both leave Fratton Park in the summer.

Linvoy Primus

The Pompey fan favourite would have got an extension to his current contract if he played enough games this season but unfortunately some horrible injury problems have stopped that.

Linvoy will be 35 in September and fans will wonder if he will ever be able to fully recover from his latest injury and show the impervious form that he displayed regularly last season.

I personally think that our increased defensive strength and Redknapp's eye for at least one defender in the summer will see Linvoy leave Pompey after eight years at the club, which will be a sad sight indeed.

Lassana Diarra

This one is a simple case of trying to keep hold of him. If we win the FA Cup and/or qualify for the UEFA Cup then I think he'll stay. If not, then Harry will have a job to convince him that his future is at Pompey and not at the likes of Juventus.

Milan Baros

The Czech striker hasn't really made as much as of an impact as expected and is still yet to score for the club. He has shown glimpses of his obvious talent and works well with Defoe at times but his finishing has been woeful and unless we can get him for a knockdown price, I expect him to be shipped back to Alain Perrin.

David Nugent

I would love nothing more than for him to prove me and many other Pompey fans wrong but I feel that he is out of his depth at this level. Yes, he's good at running and closing the defenders down but his finishing at the highest level leaves a lot to be desired.

I think that Harry will be looking to recoup some of the £5 million + that was forked out on him in the summer unless he does something drastic between now and the end of the Cup Final.

Sol Campbell

I'm still not convinced that our captain will be here next season on his reported £100,000-a-week wages. He's starting to show some chinks in his armour and lifting the FA Cup may be a fitting way for him to go. Of course, he might decide to stay at Pompey and help us in our European campaign but Sol's already said that he wants to play abroad and Redknapp looks to be already lining up his replacement....

Richard Duffy, Franck Songo'o & Djimi Traore

Simply not good enough for the Premier League. Duffy and Songo'o will most likely leave for Championship clubs whilst it looks like Traore could be used as a makeweight in a deal for Rennes for John Mensah.

COMING IN

John Mensah

The Ghanian centre back is being watched by Harry Redknapp as a possible replacement for Sol Campbell it seems. Mensah is regarded as one of the best defenders in Africa so it would take some money to prise him away from Rennes for whom he signed a new contract for last year.

There's a feeling from some that he's waiting for Lyon to come in for him, but other sources say that he'd be interested in a move to Pompey and in fact Rennes' general manager, Pierre Dreosi, has met with Peter Storrie and co. to discuss a possible transfer.

Peter Crouch

Out of favour at Liverpool, the former Pompey Player Of The Year has been heavily linked with a return to Fratton Park. Most Pompey fans have forgiven him for his stint at Southampton and the man himself had the best spell of his career under Harry Redknapp. A strike partnership of Crouch and Defoe could work very well but can we afford him without selling anyone?

Lisandro Lopez

The latest striker to be linked to Pompey is Porto striker Lisandro Lopez. Geeks and people with really good memories will remember that he played, and scored in the Fratton Park friendly before the start of the 2006/2007 season.

Lisandro looks good from what I've seen on youtube but then so did Collins Mbesuma! I'm not convinced he'd be the right player for us but I (and many others) thought the same about Kanu before he joined. In Harry, we trust.

Jonas Gutierrez & Dani Guiza

There were strong rumours in Spain that we were going to buy "Spiderman" Gutierrez for around £8 million in January but a move never materialised and it looks like we'll have to wait until the summer before we probably get our hands on the Argentinian.

Dani Guiza has a reputation for being one of the most lethal strikers in Spain and has scored 21 goals in La Liga for Mallorca this season. Pompey had been rumoured to have bid £16 million for both Guiza and Jonas in January and may come back with another bid come the end of the season.

Other names such as Per Mertesacker, Darijo Srna, Yossi Benayoun and Andres D'Alessandro have been linked to Pompey by the tabloids but I doubt that any of them will join.

Still, the transfer window is always interesting and I expect a surprise or two come the summer, as well as a couple of Fratton favourites leaving.