League One leaders Portsmouth are set to win the race for Brentford midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, according to journalist Andrew Moon.
The 21-year-old has been heavily rumoured to leave the Premier League club on loan this month and he had attracted plenty of interest. Championship trio Queens Park Rangers, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday have all been linked, although it looks as if the youngster is set to move to the third tier.
Peart-Harris already has League One experience, spending last season on loan at Forest Green Rovers. He made 47 appearances in all competitions as the Gloucestershire outfit were relegated. However, he contributed six goals and four assists and his time at The New Lawn was widely considered a success.
He has made sporadic outings for Brentford this season, most recently as a second half substitute in the 3-2 loss against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. Bees’ boss Thomas Frank has been keen to send the former Chelsea youngster out on another temporary stint in order to gain regular first team minutes.
According to Andrew Moon, Portsmouth look to have won the race to secure his signature. QPR were also in the running as they look to salvage their Championship status.
Pompey have led League One for the majority of the campaign and didn’t taste their first defeat until the end of November. Recent form has been poor though, losing two of their last three to open up an opportunity to the chasing pack.
Peterborough United sit just one point back in second having played a game less, whilst Derby County also have a game in hand with just three points separating the pair and a superior goal difference. Once all the teams have caught up on fixtures, Portsmouth could drop to fourth, with Bolton Wanderers five points off the pace with three games in hand.
As a result, manager John Mousinho is keen to strengthen his squad in order to not lose any more ground and the acquisition of Peart-Harris could be viewed as a real coup. Whilst it is unlikely he will be in the squad for tomorrow’s trip to Oxford United, the 37-year-old will be hoping to have him available on Saturday when Northampton Town visit Fratton Park.
Writer’s View
It’s been a concerning few weeks for Portsmouth and it was clear that fresh faces were needed. Peart-Harris is a player who will give the fans a lift and will offer an attacking threat.
The former England youth international could have opted for a return to League One as opposed to the Championship due to the better opportunities for success. Relegation at Forest Green last season would’ve hurt and he was perhaps unwilling to move to a club who are in a similar situation, albeit in a higher division.
Head of Writing
