Josh Knight

[davieG]

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/portsmouth-targeting-leicester-defender-whos-also-wanted-peterborough-2893791

 

Portsmouth targeting Leicester defender who's also wanted by Peterborough
Pompey are interested centre-back Josh Knight.
By Will Rooney
Wednesday, 24th June 2020, 12:30 pm
Updated
1 hour ago

It is understood the Blues have the Leicester City defender on their radar as they plot their summer recruitment.

But Kenny Jackett's men will also face competition from Peterborough following Knight's impressive loan spell at London Road this season.

Pompey will need to bolster their centre-back options, with Christian Burgess set to depart the club after the League One play-off campaign.

Knight is one player who’s been identified, with Jackett keeping tabs on a potential loan move for next term.

The 22-year-old has returned to Leicester after spending the past one-and-a-half campaigns at third-tier rivals Peterborough.

Knight first joined the Posh on loan in January 2019 and made eight appearances during his first taste of senior football.

He returned to the club last summer and was a key player for Darren Ferguson’s side when fit.

Knight featured 26 times and scored three goals as Peterborough’s promotion push fell short after the season was curtailed amid the coronavirus crisis.

His final outing was in his side’s 2-0 win over Pompey before the shutdown of football in March.

The Posh also made a bid to sign him on a permanent basis during the January transfer window but it was rebuffed by Leicester.

Knight has now returned to his parent club, although Peterborough are keen to bring him back again.

However, the attraction of Championship football should Pompey be promoted will give Jackett more leverage in the race for the centre-half’s signature.

He’s yet to feature in the second tier during his career and it would be a step in the right direction.

Knight, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, has a year remaining on his King Power Stadium deal. He’s made just solitary first-team appearance in a 4-1 EFL Cup win over Sheffield United in 2017.

Pompey will be in the market for at least one central defender during the summer transfer window.

Fans’ favourite Burgess has already agreed to join Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, although he’s been given the green light to feature in the play-offs.

Sean Raggett is also available to face Oxford next week after extending his deal, but his loan from Norwich will expire come the end of the Blues’ campaign.

Jackett has admitted he’d been keen to keep the ex-Lincoln man at Fratton Park permanently.

Meanwhile, Jack Whatmough and Paul Downing remain under contract, although the latter has been firmly out of favour since arriving from Blackburn last summer.

Youngster Matt Casey is to be released at the end of the season, despite having signed a short-term extension in case he’s needed for the play-offs.

[Lambert09]

Assuming this is a loan... would be a good move should they get promoted. 

 

I think it also depends on whether we see him as a cb or cm... because its no good him playing in the wrong position. 

[Jimmy]

I would hope He and Iversen would get Championship loans next season after impressing in League 1

[Nicolo Barella]

Would rather he got a role as a DM than a CB. 

[Webbo]

He's 22, I think if he was good enough for a top 7 PL side he'd be in the squad by now. That's not to say he won't have good career, just not necessarily with us. 

 

Either way he/we need to make decision. It's not fair to keep him in limbo. 

Edited 25 June 2020 by Webbo

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, Webbo said:

He's 22, I think if he was good enough for a top 7 PL side he'd be in the squad by now. That's not to say he won't have good career, just not necessarily with us. 

 

Either way he/we need to make decision. It's not fair to keep him in limbo. 

Exactly, either we give him a definitive chance or sell with a buy back clause. We can't hoard players who likely won't  make it at our level 

[coolhandfox]

On 25/06/2020 at 14:06, Webbo said:

He's 22, I think if he was good enough for a top 7 PL side he'd be in the squad by now. That's not to say he won't have good career, just not necessarily with us. 

 

Either way he/we need to make decision. It's not fair to keep him in limbo. 

He could be a late developer, at minimum he needs to be playing at Championship level next season, same for KDH.

 

 

Edited 26 June 2020 by coolhandfox

[moore_94]

On 26/06/2020 at 16:29, coolhandfox said:

He could be a late developer, at minimum he needs to be playing at Championship level next season, same for KDH.

 

 

Apparently Portsmouth are after him on loan if they get promoted, League One playoffs are in a couple of weeks I think

[Ian Nacho]

On 26/06/2020 at 13:40, pmcla26 said:

Now we know Mendy is going then give him a bit of pre season to see what sort of standard he’s at, if he’s not going to make it here then he needs to be sold really, if the club see potential then it’s gotta be a Championship loan. 

Do we?

[TJB-fox]

On 25/06/2020 at 14:06, Webbo said:

He's 22, I think if he was good enough for a top 7 PL side he'd be in the squad by now. That's not to say he won't have good career, just not necessarily with us. 

 

Either way he/we need to make decision. It's not fair to keep him in limbo. 

He’s not being kept in limbo there was a mutual agreement that he is to come back and fight for his place in the squad. However that was prior to covid so I have no idea if that has changed now. If a club like Portsmouth went up and came in for him he might think wow what a great opportunity. 

 

And to be fair Hamza only broke into our squad last year when he was 21 after a fairly unsuccessful second loan spell at Burton in the championship, so I don’t think his age is a particular issue, especially for a centre half (yes I do appreciate he plays DM also)

 

I haven’t seen him play 1 minute of football this Knight lad but he’s extremely highly rated by plenty in league one and championship. I reckon we could get a pretty penny for him should we decide to sell.