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The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.

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The summer transfer window is just over three weeks away from getting underway and it’s expected to be busy on the south coast.

The Blues are looking to strengthen across the park as they bid to progress in the Championship next terms.

Elfsborg defender Ibrahim Buhari is the latest name to be tipped with a move to Fratton Park this summer, with reports in Sweden linking the centre-back with Pompey, Cardiff City and Lincoln City.

Meanwhile, The News understands Luke Graham, Svante Ingelsson and Aribim Pepple are on the radar of the football operations at PO4.

Elsewhere, gossip and speculation is rife across the Championship as anticipation begins to grow with the summer window firmly in sight.

Here’s the latest headlines involving the Blues’ rivals.

Preston to pay for Spurs star

It was a disappointing second half of the campaign at Preston North End, who - despite beginning 2026 in the play-offs - finished 14th.

And the Lilywhites are already beginning preparations for next term by breaking their transfer record for Alfie Devine.

The 21-year-old netted eight goals and collected eight assists in 48 appearances for Paul Heckingbottom’s men, which included a strike in their 1-0 triumph over Pompey at Deepdale in February.

Following his outstanding campaign on loan from Spurs in Lancashire, the attacker is attracting strong interest from new Championship rivals Wolves and Scottish champions Celtic.

However, our sister paper, the Lancashire Evening Post, have reported Preston are looking to fend off any potential rival capture to secure the forward on a permanent basis.

The report claims the Lilywhites are close to triggering the option to buy clause inserted in his loan deal, which is believed to be worth more than £5m.

That would see the Deepdale outfit pay more than double their current club record transfer fee which was paid for Pompey’s Callum Lang during the January window.

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QPR’s quest for Sam Tickle

QPR are reportedly plotting a seven-figure move for Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle.

That’s according to transfer guru Alan Nixon, who has claimed the goalkeeper is on the radar at Loftus Road as they eye a cut-price deal.

It has been suggested the Latics value the shot-stopper between £1.5m and £2m as he enters the final two years of his Brick Community Stadium terms.

Tickle was an ever-present for Gary Caldwell’s side last term, starting all 46 League One matches helping Wigan to a 16th-placed finish.

The 24-year-old has risen through the ranks with the Latics, where he’s amassed 158 outings in all competitions and has also had previous interest from Arsenal and Manchester United.

QPR finished 15th in the Championship last season having picked up 58 points and, of course, claimed a 6-1 triumph over Pompey at Loftus Road in March.

The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.

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The close-season has been far from quiet at Fratton Park as the futures of a number of key personnel remains up in the air.

John Mousinho has been the subject of interest from Bristol City in recent weeks as they eye a permanent successor to Gerhard Struber, while The News revealed a second Championship club also had eyes on the head coach.

The Blues boss’ future will no doubt continue to rumble on with his stock firmly on the rise after guiding Pompey to second-tier survival once again.

Preparations for the upcoming transfer window have also been at centre stage, with a host of names already being tipped with a move to PO4.

The News confirmed Dundee defender Luke Graham was still on the Blues’ summer shopping list as well as Plymouth Argyle striker Aribim Pepple, who is beimng tracked by a number of Championship clubs.

As planning begins to ramp up with the market less than a month away, gossip and speculation continues to do the rounds across the second tier.

Here are the latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s rivals.

Preston North End to pay for Alfie Devine

Preston North End are expected to fork out a seven-figure fee to land loanee Alfie Devine on a permanent basis this summer.

The attacker thrived at Deepdale this term, netting eight goals and registering seven assists in 45 league appearances for the Lilywhites, which included a strike in February’s 1-0 win over Pompey.

Indeed, transfer guru Alan Nixon has claimed Paul Heckingbottom’s men remain hopeful of landing the Tottenham Hotspur youth product on a permanent basis.

The report suggests Preston are still open to paying a club-record £4.5m fee to secure Devine’s services in the transfer window, having already agreed a deal with Spurs prior to his loan switch last summer.

The Deepdale outfit are, though, attempting to negotiate a new structure with the Premier League side over a payment plan in the coming years, with a takeover still uncertain in Lancashire.

The Lilywhites, of course, signed Callum Lang on deadline day during the winter window and broke their club-record fee to land the former Pompey forward.

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Wolves set for £39m exit

Rob Edwards is readying himself for a return to the Championship with Wolves following their relegation last month.

The West Midlands outfit prop up the Premier League table at present, having picked up just 18 points from their 36 matches so far.

With their relegation already confirmed, a number of players are expected to depart this summer - including midfielder Joao Gomes, who is attracting interest from Europe.

European transfer expert Matteo Moretto has revealed talks are underway with Atletico Madrid over a £39m move for the 25-year-old, who has totalled 34 league outings this term.

It is believed only minor details need to be ironed out in the coming weeks ahead of his proposed move at the start of the transfer window, which gets underway on June 15.

Pompey are set to make their first trip to Molineux in more than 16 years after they secured their Championship survival with an 18th-placed finish.

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Portsmouth rivals plotting £9m summer swoop as Middlesbrough and Millwall track Tottenham Hotspur talent

The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.

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It’s expected to be a busy summer in the transfer window at Fratton Park as John Mousinho bids to bolster his ranks.

The Blues have this week been linked with Plymouth Argyle striker Aribim Pepple and Rangers defender Leon King as the rumours continue to circulate ahead of the upcoming market, which opens its doors on June 15.

There’s plenty to be decided during that time, with the head coach’s future under the spotlight along with the likes of Terry Devlin and Adrian Segecic.

Pompey have already confirmed one departure since last Saturday’s season finale, with Andre Dozzell completing his free-transfer switch to DC United after rejecting a new Fratton Park deal.

Elsewhere, planning and preparation for the forthcoming season is well underway across the Championship with plenty of business to be done.

Here are the latest headlines involving the Blues’ second-tier rivals.

Championship duo plot £9m move

Bristol City and Watford are both plotting moves for Athletico Paranaense striker Kevin Viveros, according to fresh reports.

The 26-year-old has flourished at the start of 2026 season, which has seen him net eight goals and collect one assist in 14 league appearances in Brazil’s top flight.

Indeed, a fresh claim from SportsBoom has revealed the Championship duo have the frontman on their radar ahead of the upcoming window.

The report suggests both Bristol City and Watford are both interested in Viveros along with clubs in the MLS and in Mexico.

It has been reported that Paranaense would consider a departure for the Columbian youth international, who is currently valued at £9m.

The forward does have two-years remaining on his current terms at the Arena da Baixada, where he’s scored 19 goals since his 2025 arrival.

Bristol City are, of course, in the midst of conducting their search for Gerhard Struber’s permanent successor following Roy Hodgson’s departure.

Mousinho is believed to be a leading contender for the vacancy in a fresh report on Friday morning, alongside Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala.

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Trio chase Spurs star

A host of Championship sides have Tottenham Hotspur talent Will Lankshear in their sights ahead of the summer.

The striker impressed during a season-long loan stint at relegated Oxford United, where he scored 12 goals in 47 outings - including a strike in April’s 2-2 draw against Pompey at Fratton Park.

SportBoom have claimed Middlesbrough are looking to reignite interest in the 21-year-old, having previously been touted with a switch for the young talent in January 2025.

The report suggests Millwall and recently-promoted Ipswich Town are also believed to be tracking Lankshear ahead of a potential loan swoop next term.

The England youth international has three-years remaining on his current terms at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he’s scored one goal in six first-team outings.

Lankshear is expected to attract plenty of Championship interest this summer after a successful loan stay with Oxford United.

Your next Pompey read:‘Huge super strength’: Exciting Plymouth Argyle verdict over reported Portsmouth and Rangers target Bim Pepple

Related topics:John MousinhoPortsmouthTottenham HotspurMiddlesbroughChampionshipMillwall

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The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.

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It’s expected to be a busy summer at Fratton Park as Pompey prepare for their third-successive Championship campaign.

In the meantime, the Blues rounded off their away journeys with a comprehensive 3-1 win over 17th-placed Stoke City on Saturday.

In-form Adrian Segecic netted a hat-trick to take his total to 10 goals in what has been an impressive maiden campaign on the south coast.

Planning and preparation is already well underway, with John Mousinho revealing to The News that talks with owners Tornante & Co will take place this week to discuss the club’s progression moving forward.

Out of contract players, budgets, recruitment and the futures of a number of his squad will be top of the agenda as the Blues look to move clear of another relegation battle next term.

Elsewhere, gossip and speculation is rife across the Championship as Pompey’s second-tier rivals turn their attention to the summer transfer window.

Here are the latest headlines from across the division.

Birmingham make contact with former Spurs boss

Birmingham City have reportedly made contact with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank in a bid to lure him to St Andrews this summer.

The Blues are strong admirers of the Dane, with the future of current head coach Chris Davies under the spotlight following a difficult Championship return and failure to make the play-offs.

The West Midlands outfit make the trip to Fratton Park on the final day of the season, sitting nine points ahead of Pompey in the standings.

But according to Football Insider, Birmingham are looking to go all out to land Frank after the season’s climax as they target promotion next term.

The report claims the Blues are looking to follow Brentford’s data-based transfer strategy, which saw the 52-year-old enjoy huge success at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Frank, of course, led the Bees to Championship promotion in 2020 before departing west London to join Spurs last summer.

Everton learn Sorba Thomas price

Stoke City’s Sorba Thomas is attracting strong Premier League interest ahead of the summer window.

Everton are said to be tracking the Welsh international after a brilliant maiden campaign at the Bet365 Stadium, where he’s netted 10 goals and collected 13 assists - the latest of which came in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Pompey.

The Toffees are believed to be drawing up a list of alternatives, should they fail to re-sign Jack Grealish next season, while Fulham are also keen.

With strong interest growing in Thomas, Sports Boom have revealed the Potters have placed a £15m price tag on the winger ahead of the summer.

The 27-year-old, who arrived from Huddersfield Town in 2025, still has two-years remaining on his current terms in Staffordshire.

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Burnley keen on Steven Gerrard

Burnley are already planning for life back in the Championship following their Premier League relegation last week.

The future of head coach Scott Parker is currently hanging in the balance, with reports claiming the 45-year-old is likely to depart at the end of the season.

TalkSport’s Alex Crook has revealed Steven Gerrard is being lined up as a potential candidate as he eyes a return to management.

The former England and Liverpool midfielder is now tax exempt following his stint in the Saudi Pro League and is said to be keen on a move to Turf Moor.

Parker has spent two seasons in charge of the Clarets, including promotion to the Premier League last term.

The Spurs winger made 16 appearances and scored three goals for the Blues until his January recall

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Minhyeok Yang has been ‘a victim of unfortunate circumstance’ at Coventry.

That’s the verdict of the Coventry Telegraph’s Andy Turner, with the Spurs loanee expected to again be absent for the visit of former club Pompey tonight (7.45pm).

The Sky Blues require a win to clinch the Championship title, having already been promoted to the Premier League last Friday at Blackburn after a 25-year absence.

Meanwhile, a win would secure Pompey’s survival, although they could still stay up with a draw or defeat, depending on how relegation rivals Oxford United fare against Wrexham.

Coventry are tonight set to exclude Minhyeok once more, having been left out of their last 12 squads and totalled just 29 minutes since joining from Spurs.

And that would deprive the South Korean international of the opportunity to face a Blues side he represented 16 times and scored on three occasions, before surprisingly being recalled by Spurs in January.

‘The needed a bit of spark from the wings - then all of a sudden they didn’t’

The Telegraph’s Coventry reporter Turner told The News: ‘I would say Yang has been a victim of Coventry’s squad. At the time, they needed a bit of spark on the flanks and back up - then all of sudden they didn’t.

‘When he came in, they were lacking strength in depth on the left and the right wings, that was blatantly obvious for everybody to see and had been all season.

‘The Sky Blues had Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right and Ephron Mason-Clark on the left, two outstanding players, so they needed to address that - and went out and got three wingers.

‘Yang and Romain Esse came on loan to cater for the right and left wings. Then they spent money on Jahnoah Markelo, more of one for the future, although he has crept into the squad after a period of getting used to the physicality of the training.

‘Unfortunately for Yang, his arrival conceded with everybody getting fit and, all of a sudden, Frank Lampard is having to leave players out of the match-day squad who are fit, which has been a source of frustration for the manager.

‘He thinks it should be like the Champions League and everyone should be on the bench for matches, believing it’s unfair that lads train all week and are not involved with only nine subs.

‘However, Yang has been a victim of that, everybody has got back. For instance, Brandon Thomas-Asante was playing on the left flank for a period of time really successfully when Mason-Clark was out for a few games, now everybody has returned at the wrong time for him.

‘By all accounts, he’s been working hard behind the scenes and just not included. It's been a really unfortunate loan for him. He’s a victim of unfortunate circumstance.’

Minhyeok hasn’t featured since February 7, when he was an 89th-minute substitute in a goalless draw with 10-man Oxford United.

An FA Cup outing against Stoke represents his sole start, with his remaining three appearances coming off the bench in the Championship.

And having moved to Coventry for more first-team action - the Spurs talent has accrued considerably fewer minutes than during his time at Fratton Park.

Turner added: ‘He started against Stoke in the FA Cup, he’s exciting going forward but just looks a bit lightweight and gets knocked off the ball too easily,

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‘Yang’s been a bit hot and cold, he caught the eye a couple of times, but it’s difficult to judge a player with such a short period of time on the pitch.

‘His one trademark move was cutting inside onto his right foot and having a shot, he did that a couple of times.

‘Perhaps had he imposed himself more, he would have got more minutes, I don’t know. Lampard always says the team picks itself on the training pitch, so maybe that’s the answer.

‘There certainly looks like there’s a player there, I just think it’s one of those moves which has come at the wrong time for him.’

Championship rumours as Pompey wait for official confirmation of their stay in second tier

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Pompey’s victory against Leicester on Saturday took them seven points clear of the relegation zone with just three games of the season reamining.

Their Championship status is still not 100-percent guaranteed, but you’ll find few people who believe the Blues will be back in League One next season after a run of three straight wins took them clear of immediate danger.

That gurantee could come as early as Tuesday night if third-from-bottom Oxford are beaten at home by play-off chasing Wrexham at the Kassam Stadium.

It could also signal the initial start of Pompey’s summer recruitment drive, with the green light finally given for Rich Hughes & Co to pursue those players earmarked for a third season at Championship level.

The transfer rumours have already started, after Fabrizio Romano linked the Blues with a move for winger Jayden Braaf.

The News, however, have since learned that John Mousinho has no interest in the former Manchester City youngster.

Still, it won’t be the last time Pompey are credited with an interest in a player ahead of a busy four months of recruitment.

And the rumour mill will no doubt be in full flow for the rest of the Championship as they too plot ways to improve their lot ahead of a new season.

Of course, the summer transfer window doesn’t officially open until Monday, June 15.

In the meantime, though, here’s some of the latest Championship rumours already doing the rounds with two weeks of the current campaign still to be played.

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Birmingham weighing up managerial move for Frank

Birmingham City are reportedly eyeing a big-name replacement if they decide to part company with head coach Chris Davies at the end of the season.

The future of the former Spurs assistant manager has been the subject of constant speculation as the Blues’ bid for back-to-back promotions began to peter out.

The St Andrew’s outfit currently sit 14th in the Championship table, 12 points off the play-off places and with just two wins from their past 10 games.

That has ramped up talk that Birmingham could look to end their two-year association with their 2024-25 promotion-winning boss following their final game of the season at Pompey on May 2.

And according to Football League World, the powers that be at Brum will target an ambitious move for out-of-work Thomas Frank to help them achieve their ambitions of the return to the Premier League.

Frank has been out of work after being sacked by relegation-threatened Tottenham in February.

He won just 13 of his 39 matches in charge of Spurs and was duly relieved of his duties just eight months into his three-year deal.

His reputation remains high, though, after seven noteworthy seasons at Brentford.

And he’ll prove an almighty coup of Birmingham are able to lure him to St Andrew’s in the summer, if they decide to part company with Davies.

Sheffield United forced to cash in on prized assets

Sheffield United could be forced to sell two of their prized assets in the summer following their failure to compete for promotion back to the Premier League this term.

The Blades, who were in relegation trouble for a large part of the season, currently sit 12th in the table and with no chance of making the play-offs.

And they’ll likely pay the price for a forgettable season at Bramall Lane by being made to cash in on midfield duo Gustavo Hamer and Sydie Peck.

That’s according to Alan Nixon, who claims United will have to tighten their belts ahead of next season and try to bring extra funds in by moving some of their star players on.

Hamer is certainly someone who will attract a lot of attention, having previously been linked with a move to Leeds, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Fuham.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Peck, who opened the scoring in Sheffield United’s 3-0 win over Pompey in November, is considered one of the hottest young talents outside of the Premier League.

The former Arsenal youth team player has been previously been linked with Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Brentford.

The South Korean international has totalled just 29 minutes of league football since leaving Fratton Park

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John Mousinho has every sympathy for Spurs over their ill-fated decision to send Minhyeok Yang to Coventry - despite the winger not making the Sky Blues’ last 12 squads.

Frustratingly, the Premier League club cancelled the winger’s Fratton Park loan spell in January, preferring to instead send him out to Frank Lampard’s table-toppers.

He has subsequently totalled just 29 minutes of Championship football, with his three league outings all coming off the bench during their magnificent charge to the Premier League.

Indeed, Minhyeok hasn’t featured since February 7, when he was an 89th-minute substitute in a goalless draw with 10-man Oxford United - and is unlikely to face Pompey on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

But Mousinho has sympathy with Spurs and the 20-year-old South Korea international.

‘It happens sometimes’

He told The News: ‘It was obviously a decision where Tottenham wanted to get Minhyeok into the best side in the league - and I had no issue with that.

‘They have some very, very good wingers at Coventry. If you look at those who have played for the majority of the season, you’ve got Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. Behind them are Brandon Thomas-Asante and Romain Esse, they signed Jahnoah Markelo in January and Jack Rudoni has played out there a little.

‘Then they signed Minhyeok. It’s a tough, tough ask to go into a side which is top of the league.

‘He did very, very well here, he’s a good player and will have a good career. He got three goals, a couple of assists, he scored in that really memorable win against Charlton.

‘For a young lad, we thought he was having a very good loan in terms of that exposure and the ups and downs of what it’s like in the Championship, especially for a struggling side. So I was really pleased with his contribution.

‘Him leaving was a combination of having the opportunity to go to Coventry, while towards the back of Minhyeok’s loan here, he hadn’t played a huge amount either. Against Bristol City on New Year’s Day, he was an unused substitute, so you can understand Spurs wanting to get their players a bit more playing time.

‘He hasn’t played much for Coventry, but they would have made that decision without thinking that was going to be the case, it happens sometimes.

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‘We have brought in loan players who we thought were going to play a lot of minutes and it didn’t pan out for whatever reason. Kaide Gordon is a good example of that last year.

‘You make the decisions as best as you can at the time and Tottenham would have done that. Maybe it has still been fantastic exposure because Minhyeok has been part of a side which is probably going to win the Championship.’

As a consequence of Minhyeok’s January departure, the Blues faced a winger shortage ahead of their trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Mousinho lost Harvey Blair (hip flexor) and Franco Umeh (hamstring) during the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, joining Josh Murphy and Florian Bianchini in the treatment room.

Urgently needing to bolster their wing options, Pompey recruited Milli Alli from Luton on loan for the remainder of the season, having fallen out of favour at the League One club.

And, by the end of the window, Keshi Anderson and Gustavo Caballero had also arrived at Fratton Park.

Mousinho added: ‘We had that miniature crisis in January where, at one point, we just didn’t have any wingers at all.

‘Post-Arsenal, we had Minhyeok recalled, Franco and Harvey injured, Murphy injured, Flo injured, we didn’t have any other wingers available.

‘Then we signed Milli in the build up to Sheffield Wednesday, he was the only one we had on the pitch at the time. I know Segs has played there - and he has done very well there - but Segs isn’t a winger.

‘So we had a difficult spot in January, we had to think fast. We recruited Milli and Keshi, who have had a big impact.

‘Then, at the back end of the window, when we didn’t necessarily have that strength in depth because of Murphy's injury, we decided to take Gus as well.’

Minhyeok Yang netted three goals and provided two assists in 16 outings for Pompey during the first half of the season.

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It was a move that was expected to improve his game time, but Minhyeok Yang’s stint with Coventry City is quickly turning into a nightmare.

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee was the first exit at Fratton Park during the January window, as the Premier League strugglers pulled the plug on his season-long stint on the south coast.

Following his surprise loan recall early in the month, it was confirmed the winger would instead see out the campaign with the Championship high-flyers as Frank Lampard looked to strengthen his squad for their title challenge.

But Minhyeok’s season, which started on a relatively positive note with Pompey, is quickly unravelling as the season heads towards its climax.

Despite starting on debut against Stoke City in the FA Cup just days after his move, the South Korean youth international’s game time has come at a premium.

Coventry nightmare continues for ex-Pompey loanee

The young forward has been left out of the Sky Blues’ previous seven Championship matchday squads as he plummets down the pecking order in Lampard’s attack.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Romain Esse, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Mason Ephron-Clarke and January Pompey target Jahnoah Markelo have all made sizeable impressions on the wing, with Minhyeok currently out of the picture.

In fact, the one-time Pompey loanee’s last outing came more than a month ago, in a one-minute cameo during Coventry’s goalless draw with Oxford United at the start of February.

That represents just one of his three appearances with Lampard’s men, of which all have come from the bench - and has totalled just 29 minutes of league action.

With a swath of attacking talent currently ahead of Minhyeok in Lampard’s armoury, the Coventry boss recently explained he has had to make tough decisions to ensure his side have the best chance of reaching the Premier League this term.

Speaking to Coventry Live at the end of February, the ex-Chelsea man said: ‘We’re competing to try and do well this season. I have to make decisions with what I see. And that’s not to disrespect Mini. If I feel like it’s Mini’s time to come in, he’ll come in, absolutely. That goes with all the players.

‘I don’t have a preference of loan or players that are ours, as such, because at the minute we want to win. I can’t add those kind of emotions into it.

‘I have to try to pick the best 11 and the best bench, and at the moment we don’t have any injuries, other than Brau who’s coming back to train this week.

‘So we had some injuries in the early part of the season when we did have a thinner squad and now we have a fuller squad.

‘That’s just what it is and we know and the players know what’s in front of us for the next two and a half to three months. So we have to go.’

Minhyeok Yang’s time at Pompey

Minhyeok arrived on a season-long loan from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the eve of the opening day against Oxford United, which saw him swiftly named in the match-day squad just days into his Fratton career.

Despite a slow start to life on the south coast, the winger grew in confidence and was a regular fixture in John Mousinho’s frontline amid injuries to Josh Murphy, Harvey Blair, Callum Lang, Franco Umeh and Florian Bianchini.

The Spurs talent amassed 16 outings during his short stay on the south coast, netting three goals and providing two assists.

His final kick for the Blues saw him grab a last-minute winner against Charlton Athletic in December, just days before the north London outfit triggered his recall option.

Minhyoek Yang scored three goals in 16 appearances for Pompey during his loan stint from Tottenham Hotspur.

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Minhyeok Yang’s loan spell with Coventry City is yet to hit the heights many expected.

The South Korean international made the surprise move to the CBS Arena in January, having had his season-long loan at Portsmouth prematurely ended by Tottenham Hotspur.

The winger amassed 16 appearances during the first half of the campaign at Fratton Park, where he netted three goals and registered one assist.

His final kick for the Blues saw him grab a last-minute winner against Charlton Athletic in December, just days before Spurs triggered his recall option.

Minhyeok would go on to join promotion hopefuls Coventry early in the transfer window on a temporary basis for the remainder of the campaign.

But the winger’s stint in the West Midlands hasn’t gone to plan as yet, having registered just three substitute appearances in the Championship to date.

Despite starting the Sky Blues’ FA Cup defeat to Stoke City, the Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate has since gone on to total just 31 minutes of league action as their promotion bid stalls.

That has been largely due to the impressive form of Ephron Mason-Clarke on the left-wing, with the 26-year-old cementing his spot in Frank Lampard’s attack.

The Coventry boss also has the likes of Brandon Thomas-Asante, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and January Pompey target Jahnoah Markelo who have made sizeable impressions on the wing.

Indeed, Lampard’s assistant, Joe Edwards, explained the reasons behind the ex-Blues loanee’s lack of game time at the CBS Arena was due to tough competition out wide.

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Why ex-Pompey man isn’t playing at Coventry

He told Coventry Live at the end of January: ‘Mini’s come in and looked good in training, showed some really nice bits in the game against Stoke. I think one of the difficult things for him is he’s come in to play predominantly on the left for us and Ephron is in outstanding form and physically in as good a condition as probably I’ve seen him since we’ve been here.

‘Yeah, that’s the thing and game by game we’re now in a position at the moment where we’re a lot happier with our bench than we’ve maybe been at times in the past in terms of the different types of impact we can have. That’s no disrespect to players that have been on our bench, but it’s the different types of impact that we’re able to make.

‘But obviously that’s determined by the state of the game and the result, and the two league games that we’ve had since Mini’s come in, we’ve been in a position where in those final sort of 10 minutes it’s been us really trying to manage the game and make sure that we’re defensively on it.

‘And it’s always that balance when you’re talking about making attacking subs of a player coming on to make an offensive impact, yes, but then when you’re a wide player, like Mini is, like Ephron has been in the last two games, sometimes when you’re in the rhythm of the game and in the momentum, it’s easier to stay switched on to do your job and track your runner than it may be used to come in cold for just five minutes where it could be five minutes of chaos of the opposition, throwing long balls in the box, people gambling and making runs forward. And I think that’s kind of been our assessment so far.

‘There will be games where it looks completely different. There’ll be games where it’s on us to go and chase and get the next goal in the last 10 minutes and I’m sure things will look different then.’

Despite the departures of Minhyeok and Callum Lang in the transfer window, Pompey recruited Millenic Alli, Keshi Anderson and Gustavo Caballero before the deadline.

The Spurs winger has scored three goals in 16 appearances for the Blues

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Spurs have reportedly recalled Minhyeok Yang from his Fratton Park loan spell.

And instead the winger is to join fellow Championship side Coventry for the remainder of the season.

That’s according to respected football transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, who has today claimed the South Korea international has agreed on a loan switch to the Sky Blues.

Yang, who had previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid, has struggled to establish himself in John Mousinho’s side during a disappointing stay to date.

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Although the 19-year-old arrived in August on a season-long loan, he has started just nine times in the Championship, with one of those coming since November 1.

Yang enjoyed an impressive three-game spell in October when he netted in successive matches against Watford and Middlesbrough, followed by an assist at Leicester City.

However, it wasn’t until two-and-a-half months later before his next meaningful contribution, with that 98th-minute winner against Charlton in the final game of 2025.

He wasn’t even used off the bench in the 5-0 New Year’s Day hammering at Bristol City - with Charlton now looking like his final outing for the Blues.

Overall, the Spurs teenager made 16 appearances and scored three times, with his better performances coming on the left wing in the absence of the injured Josh Murphy.

His potential departure would free up a loan slot for Pompey, with Conor Chaplin and Florian Bianchini the other two players on season-long temporary stays.