Manager adamant about Portsmouth striker's future after Sheffield Wednesday link
Boss wants to keep Owls-linked striker
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho insists Sheffield Wednesday-linked striker Colby Bishop will not be leaving.
Bishop, 29, has scored 60 goals in 175 appearances for Pompey since signing from Accrington Stanley four years ago. He scored 72 goals across five seasons in League One for both sides, while he has netted 14 times in the last two Championship campaigns.
The Star reported last month that The Owls had interest in Bishop, who is under contract at Fratton Park until 2028 after penning a new deal in February 2025. Wednesday have been busy rebuilding their threadbare squad with nine new signings this summer but they are still short of striker options.
Questions about Bishop’s Pompey future surfaced again in the last few days after they signed another frontman in Marko Milovanovic, 22, from Spanish club UD Almeria for around £3m. The Serbian bagged 10 goals in 32 outings on loan at Portuguese outfit Alverca. But Mousinho is adamant that Bishop will not be moving on.
“There is absolutely no change in terms of Colby's position,” he told The News. “There has been no interest in him, we are keeping him. We still want him to be firing on all cylinders, we want players to compete in every position. I have spoken to Colby about this one over the past couple of weeks and he is relishing the competition.
“Colby and myself spoke about it at the back end of last season, about bringing another centre-forward in to bolster the ranks and running with three centre-forwards we think can compete at the level. First of all, physically trying to do it for 90 minutes every week against some of the centre-halves for 46 games is really difficult, Colby is running on empty a lot of the time and we want to give him some support.”
It comes after a statement from Owls owner, David Storch, on Friday in which he explained that although player sales can be reinvested across the wider football operation, including player wages, they do not increase the EFL- agreed transfer fee budget.
He said: “Following administration, we are operating within an agreed financial framework with the EFL for the next two seasons. We are aligned with that approach and believe sustainable, disciplined decision-making is the right foundation for the club’s long-term success. This includes a league-approved operating budget, no ownership equity funding and a defined transfer fee budget. Although player sales can be reinvested across our wider football operation, including player wages, they do not increase the agreed transfer fee budget.
“I share this not as an excuse, but because I believe in transparency. The reality is we are rebuilding, which makes smart leadership and long-term thinking even more important. But let me be clear – these constraints do not change our ambition. Not one bit. Michael, Tom and I remain fully committed to building a successful, sustainable Sheffield Wednesday that competes at the highest possible level and makes this city proud.”