Portsmouth are believed to be eyeing a move for Plymouth Argyle forward Aribim Pepple as John Mousinho explores new forward additions.
Pompey have decided to reshape their attacking lineup heading into the new season, with Makenzie Kirk already off their books after loaning him out to League One side Barnsley.
Pepple In Sights
Now, according to Darren Witcoop on social media, the Fratton Park side are now stepping up their interest in Pepple, who had a breakthrough season with Argyle, which saw him earn his first-ever senior call-up to the Canadian national team.
It comes as a double blow to Tom Cleverley’s side, as Witcoop also acknowledges the expected sale of his Plymouth striking partner Lorent Tolaj, who is set to undergo a medical with Bristol City in the coming 48 hours.
Pepple has been in the sights of a number of clubs this summer, with previous reports from the Daily Mail in May stating that a number of Championship clubs, including Lincoln City, Watford and Norwich City were keen on a move.
Argyle signed the 23-year-old from Luton Town last summer for an initial fee of £250,000, which could have reached up to £600,000, and made a major impact with 18 goals in 41 appearances.
Tom Cleverley had previously stated to Plymouth Live that his side were under no pressure to sell either Tolaj or Pepple this summer, but did leave the door open to an offer ‘that might turn our heads’.
Pompey Need Depth
Given Portsmouth’s struggles in front of goal, signing an exciting striker like Aribim Pepple could be a game-changer to their chances of avoiding another relegation scrap.
Colby Bishop and Adrian Segecic have stepped up in recent seasons to be a reliable front pair, but their goalscoring records have been far from impressive, so adding an in-form striker to their ranks could galvanise their output.
Pepple may not have had the outlying statistics that his teammate Lorent Tolaj delivered at Plymouth Argyle, but during the Swiss forward’s injury issues late on in the season, the 23-year-old stepped up to keep their play-off charge alive, and could do the same at Fratton Park.
Whether interest from elsewhere ramps up remains to be seen, but for now, Pompey now need to press ahead and try and strike terms before another party like Norwich City can make a move to try and hijack a deal.
For the Pilgrims though, this is yet another devastating blow that threatens to derail their season, as losing both of their top goalscorers will leave them under a lot of pressure to find adequate replacements in time for the season starting in just a few weeks’ time.
