FC Volendam join Reading, Portsmouth in race for Chelsea’s Super Eagles-eligible midfielder
Football League clubs Reading and Portsmouth face competition in the form of Dutch Eredivisie outfit FC Volendam in the race for the signature of Chelsea’s Super Eagles-eligible midfielder Faustino Anjorin.
According to The News, Portsmouth’s hopes of landing Anjorin look set to end in disappointment, with interest coming from Reading, FC Volendam and other European clubs.
John Mousinho and his assistant, Jon Harley are admirers of Anjorin and want to bring him to Fratton Park ahead of the new season.
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The Anglo-Nigerian has been talking to the clubs interested in his signature, having been pictured at Portsmouth before attending a training session at FC Volendam.
He played together with FC Volendam captain Carel Eiting during a loan spell at Huddersfield Town in the second half of the 2021-2022 season.
Anjorin is not in the plans of Chelsea new boss Mauricio Pochettino for the forthcoming season and was left out of the club’s pre-season tour to the United States.
With several teams interested in the 21-year-old, Chelsea are willing to loan him but have no plans of selling him this summer.
He made his professional debut for the Blues in a Carabao Cup fixture against Grimsby Town in September 2019, aged 17.
Portsmouth midfielder absence fears after learning full extent of injury set-back
The Northern Ireland international was forced off through injury against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night, just 19 minutes after coming off the bench.
He has now been diagnosed with ligament damage to his right ankle.
Lane was on crutches and in a protective boot while attending Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Bristol City, marking the Blues’ final pre-season fixture.
Pompey’s League One season kicks-off on August 5 with the visit of Bristol Rovers to Fratton Park.
Lane will inevitably miss that fixture – with the length of his absence beyond that still to be determined.
Although, at this stage, there is a very real danger the 22-year-old may be out of the opening month of the season.
Mousinho told The News: ‘Paddy wearing the boot is much more precautionary than anything, taking pressure off the ankle.
‘We are not entirely sure of the timescale yet, hopefully it’s not going to be too long.
‘It is ankle ligament damage and his absence depends on the severity of the damage. We are treating it symptomatically, so he’s improving day-by-day and hopefully we get the boot off, get back walking, then running, and then back on the pitch.
‘Whether he’ll be back in the first month of the season, I don’t know, it’s probably too early to tell.
‘If not, hopefully it doesn’t drag too far beyond that.’
Lane has scored once in 15 matches since arriving from Fleetwood in the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee.
He finished the season strongly after losing confidence during a frustrating time with the Cod Army, regaining his Northern Ireland spot as a result.
Now he has suffered a cruel injury set-back in the penultimate friendly of Pompey’s pre-season.
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