Portsmouth release Yengi as Swanson and Dozzell stay

BBC News

13-05-2025

Portsmouth have released Australian striker Kusini Yengi and taken up options to keep defender Zak Swanson and midfielder Andre Dozzell at the club.Yengi was a vital part of the Pompey side that won promotion to the Championship, making 31 appearances and scoring 13 goals across all competitions in the 2023-24 season. But this term he has struggled for fitness and opportunities, making 14 appearances with no goals.Swanson moved to Fratton Park from Arsenal in 2022 and agreed a new one-year contract in July. This season he made 32 appearances across all competitions with one goal.Dozzell joined the Blues last summer following his departure from QPR. He has been a regular in John Mousinho's side this campaign, featuring 41 times.Also departing are left-back Cohen Bramall, who the Blues signed in January on a deal until the end of the season, midfielder Tom Lowery, winger Anthony Scully and defender Alexander Milosevic. Goalkeeper Ben Killip - who started Portsmouth's final two games of the season - has been offered a new deal. He joined Pompey on a short-term deal in February.Portsmouth finished the season in 16th after they confirmed safety with two games to play.
'Not too many decisions to make' - Analysis
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon:Compared to previous seasons there were not too many decisions for Portsmouth's hierarchy to make at the end of this campaign regarding out-of-contract players.The most notable is the decision to let Kusini Yengi depart on a free transfer. The Australian had an impressive debut season in England but failed to score a single goal in the Championship in an injury-hit campaign. The Blues had a option for an extra year, so they could have taken that and looked to sell him, but options years almost always trigger a wage increase. And there is no guarantee of finding a willing buyer nor Yengi agreeing to a move.Zak Swanson was always going to be dilemma. He has made significantly more appearances in the Championship than in League One, and clearly has the technique and athleticism to play in the second tier.However, his performances have been up and down. He ended up playing just five more minutes during the remainder of the season after making errors for both Derby County's goals in the 2-2 draw at Fratton Park on 12 April. With Swanson, Jordan Williams and Terry Devlin, right-back is a tough position to call next season.Cohen Bramall showed some bright moments after arriving on a free transfer from Rotherham in January. He will have re-lived the final seconds of the loss at Coventry City in his mind countless times, and Portsmouth already have two contracted left-backs for next season, so it was always going to be a battle to stay.Ben Killip was solid in his two end-of-season outings and showed he would be a decent option as third-choice keeper.It was already publicly known that Championship survival would trigger a second year on Andre Dozzell's contract.Alexander Milosevic did not manage to make a single appearance after joining as a free agent. Tom Lowery and Anthony Scully have both been out on loan this season and were always going to depart.