Portsmouth secured one of Scotland’s brightest young forwards on deadline day, leaving Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony openly frustrated.
Makenzie Kirk chose a Championship future at Fratton Park over the chance to join Posh in League One, despite both clubs having offers accepted by St Johnstone. That had prompted MacAnthony to claim the player’s dad and agent both wanted him to move south just to ‘sit on the bench’.
Pompey land promising Northern Ireland striker
The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the Scottish Premiership last season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions and attracting attention from south of the border. Portsmouth manager John Mousinho moved quickly to finalise a three-year deal, adding Kirk to a busy summer that saw 11 new arrivals, including Conor Chaplin, Josef Bursik and Franco Umeh.
Kirk’s signing was seen as a statement of intent from the Blues, who strengthened heavily to prepare for the demands of the Championship. For the player, the lure of testing himself in the second tier outweighed the guarantee of minutes further down the pyramid.
MacAnthony’s transfer frustrations
Speaking on his Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony admitted disappointment at losing out on two major striker targets during the final week of the window. While avoiding naming names, one is thought to be Lincoln City striker Rob Street.
He then directly referenced Kirk’s decision, claiming the forward’s representatives preferred a move where he may face limited opportunities.
MacAnthony said: “I did a deal for a boy outside the English league but his agent and dad wanted him to go and sit on the bench somewhere else outside of our league. Also where we are in the league didn’t help.”
The outspoken chairman argued Kirk could have been developed into a leading scorer at London Road, continuing Posh’s tradition of nurturing attacking talent. Instead, he must now watch the youngster attempt to establish himself at a higher level.
Alongside celebrating Kirk’s arrival, Portsmouth allowed defender Tom McIntyre to leave for Bradford City. MacAnthony revealed Peterborough were offered the chance to sign the former Reading man but opted against a deal, praising Bradford’s decision to take him on instead.
Writer’s View
Portsmouth’s capture of Kirk underlines their growing pulling power under Mousinho, with players willing to risk reduced minutes for the chance to perform on the Championship stage. For Peterborough, it is another example of the financial and competitive gap between the divisions.
MacAnthony’s comments reflect a frustration that Posh, despite their track record, are struggling to win key transfer battles. Whether Kirk thrives at Fratton Park or finds minutes hard to come by will be closely watched on both the south coast and at London Road.
