Former Norwich City winger Josh Martin is currently training with Portsmouth but is not likely to sign a deal with them, as reported by The News.
22-year-old Martin, who began his career with Arsenal before turning pro at Carrow Road, was released in the summer after just 16 senior appearances. His search for a new club has taken him from Norfolk to Hampshire, as he arrives at Fratton Park with Pompey enjoying a resurgence under John Mousinho.
They’re currently flying high in League One and hunting a return to the second tier for the first time in a decade. With winger Anthony Scully out until December, some might be teased into thinking Martin is closing in on a Pompey deal. especially after Mousinho confirmed he had joined them for training.
“Josh Martin has been in training with us; his girlfriend lives locally, so it has been a really good opportunity for him to come in,” confirmed the former Oxford United player.
However, any thoughts of him securing a permanent move were quickly dashed.
“At the moment, we’re not looking to add anything to the squad, so it’s great for Josh to be in and train, and we will obviously monitor the situation here if anything changes with our squad,” he said. “He’s a really, really good young lad, obviously a good player, but at the moment we are happy with where we are as a squad.”
That seemingly rules out a move for Martin, who has been without a club since his release from Norwich in the summer. He joined the Canaries from Arsenal as a youth and made five Premier League appearances for them in 2019/20.
Loan spells at MK Dons, Doncaster and Barnsley saw him get plenty of experience in League One, with his spell at the Keepmoat bringing four goals in 20 outings.
However, despite having played 42 matches in the third tier across those loan spells, he is still searching for a club willing to take a chance on him.
Writer’s View
Josh Martin always felt like a special talent on the cusp of something, but it just hasn’t worked out for him. His season-long loan at Barnsley didn’t bring the first-team exposure he might have hoped; he started just two matches. He played against Chelsea, West Ham and Man City in the Premier League but couldn’t get a start against Forest Green Rovers last season.
Quite where he goes now is anyone’s guess, but there’s certainly talent there. A struggling League One club might take a punt, one with the wages to accommodate a player during the season, or he could be a great target for a League Two side.
At 22, he still has plenty to offer and has not yet hit his prime, and by keeping himself fit and training with Pompey, he ensures he’s ready for a move and that his name is still in the news.
