Former Defender Curtis Davies Highlights Portsmouth’s January Recruitment Needs

Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies has stated his belief that Portsmouth will require significant squad reinforcements in January to secure their position in the Championship. Speaking on the recent installment of BBC Radio Solent’s ‘Who Needs Mourinho?’ podcast, Davies asserted that while there are sufficient teams involved in the relegation struggle for Portsmouth to avoid demotion, worries would emerge if the quality of mid-season recruitment falls short. “I’d be worried if I’m a Portsmouth fan and come January, there’s not reinforcements,” Davies stated. “I’m not talking about big wholesale, Championship or lower Premier League names coming into the football club – but people that can effect this squad. It’s not about getting a young lad from Manchester United because he’s from Manchester United but someone who is ready to come in and play.” The defensive line is an area that manager John Mousinho might consider addressing, considering his team has allowed the third-highest number of goals in the Championship this campaign. However, Davies expressed the view that locating a defender who can meet the necessary standards in the second tier is exceptionally challenging, likening it to finding a “unicorn.” “I spoke to John when I was working with him and he said ‘ultimately, we all want a Virgil van Dijk but we need a B-Tech Van Dijk that will hopefully become good enough’,” Davies recounted. He further elaborated, “To be dominant in the Championship is important, yes, but you need to be mobile and you need to be quick. You need be good on the ball because of the way John wants to play.” Davies concluded, “But finding them all in one is really difficult.”