Freddie Potts signed a new contract with West Ham this month as he continues his loan spell at Portsmouth in the Championship.
West Ham head coach Graham Potter plans on working with midfielder Freddie Potts in pre-season ahead of the 2025/26 campaign in a fresh transfer blow for Championship outfit Portsmouth.
The 21-year-old is spending the season on loan at Fratton Park following a successful stint at Wycombe Wanderers last term. Potts has been a key player for Mousinho this term with 30 Championship appearances to his name.
Potter wants to prioritise youth at the London Stadium and earlier this month it was confirmed that a new contract had been agreed with Potts. Despite that news, Mousinho had claimed that Portsmouth would be front of the queue for a potential permanent deal with West Ham this summer.
Graham Potter ‘looking forward’ to working with Freddie Potts
In fresh quotes about the midfielder this week, Potter said: “Freddie has had a couple of really good loans, successful loans, which I think is important for a player, at Wycombe and now at Portsmouth. It’s really important to have that accumulation of games, those minutes.
“We do a great job in terms of the Academy and development and have a good programme internally, but sometimes you need to go out and play as well and he’s done that and he’s had the benefit of that. So we’re looking forward to him finishing the season off strong and then coming back and being part of our group in pre-season.”
Potts made his Hammers debut in December 2021 in the Europa League and has played three times for the first team. The 21-year-old’s other two appearances came in the Europa Conference League under David Moyes and Potts has a winner’s medal from that success in 2023.
Portsmouth ‘hope’ to bring West Ham midfielder back to Fratton Park
Speaking to The News last week, when asked if Portsmouth were in with a chance of bringing Potts back to the south coast, Mousinho said: “I think so. Hopefully we’ve shown over the past couple of seasons to clubs higher up the pyramid that we’re a good club to loan players to.
“There are some loans which have worked out and some that haven’t, but any player who comes in if they are good enough to play will play. Age isn’t a thing that we’re particularly concerned about, Freddie is a prime example of that - Abu and Robbo were last year. We want good players in who can play at the level - and Freddie is certainly one of them.”
Potts visited Rush Green earlier this month to sign his contract and catch up with Hammers colleagues before making his way back to Fratton Park. Speaking about his new deal, Potts said: “Mark Noble rang me to say the Club wanted to offer me a new contract, and I was delighted. To be given this extension is a massive moment for me. I’ve worked really hard over the last couple of seasons to earn this, and it gives me the security to push on in these final few months of the Championship season with Portsmouth and look ahead to an exciting summer.
“I’ve been at West Ham since I was five. I grew up in the area, and I’ve wanted to become a West Ham player my whole life. Hopefully, this [coming] pre-season, with the new manager coming in, brings a fresh opportunity. From what I’ve seen, it looks really exciting, so I’m eager to be part of it. My goal is to break into the first team and show what I can do at the highest level.”
In other news, West Ham have been handed a £27 million injury boost ahead of facing Wolves this week.