Jay’s potential move a boost for Pompey
Danny Cowley has told Pompey to expect a summer financial windfall from the sale of Jay Mingi.
The Colchester boss is braced to lose the 23-yearold during the close season, claiming Championship and League One clubs are hovering.
Mingi rejected a threeyear Fratton Park deal last summer in favour of becoming a free agent, eventually earning himself a two-year contract with United in September.
Under terms of the deal, the Blues received around £30,000 in training compensation, while a sell-on clause was also included.
And with Mingi having shone during his maiden Colchester season, albeit often in the unfamiliar role of centre-half, Cowley anticipates a summer sale.
Pompey’s former head coach told The News: ‘Jay has played a lot at right centre-half, he has been brilliant, he has done fantastic.
‘Last summer, I actually spoke with Colchester’s recruitment guys at the time and of course I gave Jay a really good reference. We were really pleased to then inherit him when we got to Colchester.
‘But I don’t think we’ll hang onto him. I have a feeling there will be some finance coming back to Pompey because he’s done brilliantly for us, he’s far too athletic for League Two.
‘We would love to keep him, but my feeling is there are a lot of Championship and League One clubs that are very keen to sign him.
‘Jay has some incredible technical skills that he can execute at speed.
‘I’ve been lucky enough to manage in eight of the top nine divisions and everyone asks me what the definer is - and probably it’s the ability to execute your skills at speed.
‘If you can do that, then you can play in the Championship and beyond. If you can’t, then there’s probably a ceiling on the level you can play.’
Mingi made 28 appearances as Colchester avoided relegation from League Two on the final day.
However, a hamstring injury sidelined him for two-and-a-half months, returning to fitness after Cowley had been appointed head coach in January.
The former Charlton man previously made 29 appearances for Pompey, scoring once, after arriving as a free transfer in September
2021.
The 3AM Verdict: Duncan a solid midfielder who doesn’t get his name up in lights very much, but he’s certainly the kind of canny operator teams rarely regret signing on a free.
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