Pompey-linked Kamara 'still has huge potential'

[Getty Images] They say never go back. Although I don't know who "they" are and they'd be spectacularly wrong if considering Marlon Pack's return to Portsmouth. He's made a huge contribution to the success of the past three years. Matt Ritchie and John Swift less so, but they've proved useful additions. The possible return of Abu Kamara would feel on a different level. It would be the most celebrated Pompey transfer for some time. Why? Well, Rocco Shein and Marko Milovanovic may turn out to be excellent additions. But most fans won't have heard of them before they were linked to the club. When they hear Kamara's name they think of him terrorising defenders and brilliant goals and assists as Pompey won League One. Being a football fan is all about emotions and those memories are more powerful than anything an unknown new signing can bring. By the end of that season he was one of the best players in the third tier. Everyone in the Championship is looking for what I'd call a "unicorn". A player they can sign for a few million and sell on at a massive profit within the next couple of years. Think Middlesbrough paying £1.5m for Morgan Rogers in 2023. I watched Kamara that season and thought he could be one of those players. Hull ended up buying Kamara two years ago for a fee which was widely reported to total £4.5million including add-ons. It's possible none of the add-ons have been hit and, although the initial fee was undisclosed, it's likely to have been £3million at the very least. That summer, Portsmouth were not in the market to pay that amount of money - £3million was comfortably more than their entire outlay that window. Even if they had been able to match Hull's money, would Kamara have been a good signing? He certainly hasn't been for Hull. One season in the Championship with limited impact and one on loan, with much of it spent injured. They will do well to recover their original spend on him. So why do Portsmouth want him? They need a right-winger, it was a problem position last season. Kamara still has huge potential. He knows he'd be loved at Pompey. There'll be no forced apology videos for the terrible crime of liking a Paddy Lane tweet. John Mousinho got the best out of him and would believe he could do so again. That isn't always straightforward. Mousinho was very keen to sign Gavin Whyte, a player he knew very well, a few years ago. That move did not pan out. It doesn't mean he shouldn't trust his judgement though. Mousinho and Richard Hughes have got a lot more right than wrong over the past few years. Will Kamara return? There is optimism within Portsmouth. I'd potentially go as far to say it's more likely than not. After Luke Graham though, Pompey don't need reminding this summer that being close to a deal isn't the same as completing one. Would Kamara be a good signing and can he reach his potential? Hopefully those are debates we're having in the near future. Latest Portsmouth news, analysis and fan views