John Mousinho thanked Norwich City for their faith in the League One champions’ development and hinted at the possibility of a reunion with Abu Kamara in the upcoming campaign.
Kamara has been a key component of Pompey’s comeback to the Championship, putting up strong numbers and becoming a mainstay in the first team under Mousinho.
Throughout the season, Mousinho kept in touch with both technical director Neil Adams and City coach Andrew Hughes, confirming that negotiations regarding Kamara’s future would take place in the summer.
“It’s a very, very interesting one, I think, with Abu,” Mousinho stated to the Portsmouth News.
“First and foremost, we must express our sincere gratitude to Norwich for their handling of the loan.
“Throughout, we have stayed in close communication with them regarding Abs’s personal growth.
“At the beginning of everything, Andrew Hughes—the player we all probably remember—was the loan manager, and he went above and beyond to ensure that Ab arrived and fit in.
“We always discuss Abu’s progress with him and (assistant sporting director) Neil Adams, and Andrew in particular always shows a great deal of interest in what’s happening.
“Therefore, we sincerely appreciate their excellent behavior and their great assistance in making our work with Abs possible.
“He has only gotten stronger and stronger. Around October, I recall responding to inquiries regarding Abs’ performance because a few of his fans were becoming a little bit irritated, maybe due to a lack of output. However, we knew in our hearts that Abs could produce.
“I believe that while he has produced amazing football on the left, he has excelled even more on the right. He hasn’t truly turned around since approaching that flank.
“Who knows what Abu’s future holds? Come summertime, I’m sure we’ll have another discussion about that with Norwich and Andrew, and then we’ll see where things go.”
Norwich intends to include Kamara in their starting lineup, but Mousinho thinks a trip back to Pompey in the Championship would be the best case scenario should City win the Premier League, especially since promotion through the play-offs is still a possibility.
“If you look at those pathways for players who end up in the Premier League – a really successful League One loan spell followed by a Championship loan spell probably sets you up for the next level,” Mousinho stated.
“We’ll see what happens in the Premier League, but he won’t be unprepared to step up should Norwich advance. Once more, though, that is beyond our control, so we will just have to wait and see.”
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