Leicester City will have less competition in the hunt to sign Archie Collins this summer after it was revealed Portsmouth have withdrawn their interest in the free agent.
Pompey were one of five clubs that have been touted with a move for the midfielder, who is set to leave Peterborough United tomorrow upon the expiry of his contract.
Mousinho Makes Stance Known
However, it has now been confirmed by Portsmouth manager John Mousinho that they are not pursuing a move for Collins this summer. Speaking to the Portsmouth News about the 26-year-old, he said:
“We’re not signing Archie, there’s nothing in that. I know Archie very well as a player, but that wasn’t something we looked at.”
The Championship side are in need of new midfielders this summer, having allowed Andre Dozzell to leave the club in order to pursue a new opportunity with Major League Soccer side DC United.
Pompey’s withdrawal leaves Reading, Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United as the remaining sides coveting Collins, with all four hoping to challenge at the top of League One in the upcoming season.
Russell Martin has been tasked with a major upheaval of his playing squad this summer in order to fund new transfers and is increasingly likely to need a rebuild of his midfield.
Harry Winks has been allowed to negotiate with Serie A side Cagliari, while his partner in Oliver Skipp is believed to be of interest to Middlesbrough as they look set to lose Hayden Hackney, with the Foxes attaching a £15 million price tag to the 25-year-old.
City Need To Ramp Up Campaign
With an impending exit of Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp’s future now in the air amid interest from the Championship, trying to put the pieces together of a new squad is crucial for Leicester City with just over a month before the new season starts.
Russell Martin has been handed a somewhat unenviable task of trying to pick up a side that has been in freefall, and now having installed two new assistant managers, focus now needs to turn on the players.
Archie Collins has been a standout star in League One for a number of years, and with his consistency, would be a prized asset to have on any side, especially those that will be hopeful of a title challenge.
Given fees are yet to arrive for many of their big stars, such as Jeremy Monga and Skipp should Middlesbrough be willing to pay a sizable price, securing free agents, like Collins or Conor Chaplin, is key for the early stages of this window.
Should they also be able to advance their interest in Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny, Leicester could have a very promising midfield trio next season with youth star Sammy Braybrooke poised for a promotion into the senior side.
