Blues carry on looking for Yengi-type gems

Pompey will look to international markets this summer after their overseas success last term.

John Mousinho has confirmed the Blues will again scour foreign leagues for talent, after plucking Kusini Yengi from the Australian A-league last year.

And there will be greater leeway to bring in players from abroad, after a return to the Championship was secured.

Yengi was pulled from relative obscurity in terms of these shores, as Pompey’s recruitment department unearthed a hidden gem in the striker.

The 25-year-old’s value has soared, after the Socceroos man banged in 13 goals after being signed for around £90,000 from Western Sydney Wanderers.

Meanwhile, Terry Devlin has highlighted himself as a player of promise after arriving for a similar fee from Glentoran with the 20-year-old making 25 appearances last term.

Yengi’s international team-mate Aiden O’neill was also seriously considered, before the midfielder moved to Standard Liege in Belgium.

Landing players from the EU was complicated by Brexit in 2020, meaning players would go through a similar process to the rest of the world. The process of bringing in talent from overseas was relaxed 12 months ago, however, with the system simplified for English clubs.

That means it’s now easier to bring in players who previously fell outside of the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria.

The number of players able to be signed who fell outside of the points requirements is restricted to two for those teams in League One and League Two. That number goes up to four, however, in the Championship.