John Mousinho says Bristol City interest leaves Portsmouth unchanged

john mousinho says he is not in a hurry to leave Portsmouth despite interest from Bristol City. The 39-year-old says he loves the club, has had support from day one and is fully focused on Portsmouth’s talks over the next couple of days and Saturday’s match against Birmingham City.

“I'm not currently in a situation where I'm desperate to leave the football club and I stick by what I said on Saturday - I love the club and love the support I've had from day one,” Mousinho said. He added that he does not want to promise he will stay forever, saying that would be more disrespectful to supporters than being open about the situation.

Mousinho and Bristol City

“It's obviously flattering first and foremost. If there is interest, it's on their side; I haven't spoken to Bristol City and they haven't made an approach to the football club, so at this stage it's just that,” he said. That leaves Portsmouth in a familiar position: their manager is being linked elsewhere while the club is still finishing its Championship season.

Bristol City are chasing a permanent replacement for Gerhard Struber after he was sacked in March, and Roy Hodgson is in charge for the final seven games only. Hodgson has already said he will not take the job on a full-time basis, which keeps the vacancy open while Portsmouth prepare for their own end-of-season planning.

Portsmouth's January 2023 Gamble

Mousinho has been at Portsmouth since January 2023 and delivered the League One title in 2024. He has also kept the club in the Championship for the past two seasons, which is why the speculation has arrived before the season has even ended.

He said these questions are nothing new. “There have been other moments like this where there have been these questions asked about whether I'm staying so it's nothing new. It's a massive compliment to myself and to the football club as well over what we've built over the past few years,” he said.

Saturday's Portsmouth Finish

Portsmouth are five places and five points behind Bristol City, who are 13th in the Championship table. Both clubs play on Saturday, with Portsmouth at home to Birmingham City and Bristol City hosting Stoke City at 12:30 BST, while Mousinho stays focused on his own side rather than a move that has not yet led to an approach.