Pompey boss shoots down Bonis reports

John Mousinho has ruled out a move for £300,000-rated marksman Lee Bonis.

But the Pompey boss detailed how his club’s scouts are scouring the market across the Irish Sea for exciting emerging talent.

The Blues were this week linked with the striker, who has bagged 17 goals this season for Northern Irish champions Larne Town.

Mousinho has now shot down the national reports and made it clear that 23-year-old Bonis is not someone he’s currently aware of.

When asked if Pompey were interested in the striker, Mousinho said: ‘I read that – and I genuinely haven’t seen anything of Lee.

‘Sometimes it’s good to pick up the Portsmouth News, then I can go on to Wyscout and have a little look at these players!

‘That’s something I will do, but there’s nothing on that one from our end – and I’m not sure where it’s come from.’

Despite not looking to move for Bonis, Mousinho explained how Pompey’s recruitment team are looking at gems they can find in Ireland.

The 36-year-old has seen how that proved fertile ground to harvest when with former club Oxford United – and that is something the head coach is looking to do at Pompey moving forward.

Mousinho added: ‘We’ve got a head of recruitment and scouts who’ve been over in Ireland and had a good look at the players over there.

‘It can be really good to pick up players from the Irish league.

‘You get young, hungry players with a lot of athleticism coming over here and performing well.

‘I’ve had personal experience of that with Oxford, in particular, and I do think that is something we can definitely capitalise on over a period of however many years we keep going over there.’