Pompey would 'absolutely' pursue Kamara - Hughes

Abu Kamara played a key role when Portsmouth won League One in 2023/24 [Shutterstock] Portsmouth sporting director Richard Hughes says the club would "absolutely" be interested in a potential return for former loanee Abu Kamara this summer, but any deal would not be straightforward to complete. The 22-year-old arrived at Fratton Park on loan in 2023 and played a starring role as the Blues won the League One title, with 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions across the campaign. He returned to his parent club Norwich at the end of the season before completing a transfer to Hull City, where he is half-way through a four-year contract. Last season Kamara went on loan to Spanish side Getafe and this summer could become available for a move. "Abu is a player we really like and the honest answer (if we will sign him) is I don't know at the minute," Hughes told BBC Radio Solent. "There's a lot of moving parts, Hull have obviously been promoted and their sporting director has left, so there's necessities to sort of go from within. "But if there was an opportunity for us to explore, to try and bring Abu Kamara back, would we be interested? Yes, we absolutely would be. "There's probably a lot of bits that will go in place to try and make that a viable option but if it was something we were able to explore as a football club it would be something that we would pursue." Fee and terms agreed for Graham but no deal Hughes confirmed that Portsmouth had hoped to complete a deal for defender Luke Graham, but instead he recently moved from Scottish Premiership side Dundee to Stoke City. Graham won both the players' player and young player of the year awards at Dens Park last season, and Pompey were keen to add him to their ranks. He featured 41 times for Dundee in what was a breakthrough campaign that earned him a place in Scotland's training squad in the lead-up to this summer's World Cup. Hughes said that they were fairly advanced in their pursuit of the player before he opted for the Bet 365 Stadium. "Out of respect for all parties I probably wouldn't want to shed any light on how it all presented itself," he continued. "However the assurance that people would probably like to hear from me is we agreed a fee with the club and we agreed personal terms with the player. "Sometimes they don't present themselves after that but as a football club that puts us in a good spot to do what we can to try and facilitate a deal. "It was frustrating because we'd coveted Luke for a long period of time and we did everything in our power to try and get that deal concluded - however, it wasn't to be." Budget increase and navigating transfer market Hughes is currently with the squad over in the Republic of Ireland as they gear up for another Championship season. He joined Portsmouth from Forest Green Rovers in 2022 and is working closely with boss John Mousinho and the board as they look to strengthen the squad. The transfer budget has been increased this summer but for Hughes, although this is a positive step for the club, it puts extra pressure on him to bring in the right players with that money. "It feels like it [the market] has livened up and players are starting to move, we've started to have more proactive conversations with clubs which is which is really helpful in terms of if we're acquiring their players. "The market feels like it's gathering a little bit of speed and there's there's definitely momentum around things at the moment." Pompey have already made two additions to the squad this summer, with Odin Bailey and Eoin Kenny arriving at Fratton Park. But Hughes says there is more work to be done before Portsmouth start their Championship season against QPR on 15 August. "We're happy with where we are but we know it's not where we need to be," he added. "We're still really strong in our conviction that we need to add in certain areas and we still need to move things around. "Obviously it goes without saying that we want to do it as quickly as possible and that's our commitment. "Ultimately it's not that straightforward, but we are striving to get better, create the depth, create the greater ability in the squad and put ourselves in a really good spot." Latest Portsmouth news, analysis and fan views