Detailed: Where Portsmouth’s improved playing budget will sit in Championship next season.
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John Mousinho will be afforded an improved playing budget with bigger fees for signings, but Wrexham and Birmingham City are set to shift the financial landscape in the Championship.
The good news is John Mousinho has already confirmed he’s being given an improved playing budget next season.
The Pompey manager believes that transfer fees, which have not been seen since the end of the club’s Premier League days, may be available to strengthen his squad this summer.
It’s enough to enthuse the Blues’ head coach about what’s ahead, with the foundations for a Championship squad to compete in the future.
However, there is also the startling reality of the shifting financial sands of next season’s second tier to contend with.
Pompey was thought to be at the bottom of the division’s playing budget hierarchy, alongside Plymouth, but they outperformed to finish 16th.
So, how will adding millions to the playing warchest help them move forward? Probably in roughly the same situation in the stark raving bonkers land of Championship spending.
Wrexham, Birmingham, and a number of well-funded clubs joined the race to reach League One last season, which is one of the reasons it was so important to get out. The problem is that after 12 months, the dollar-laden duo has risen to the second tier and is poised to outspend the Blues and a slew of other clubs.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, co-owners of Wrexham AFC, are looking to make some big-name signings this summer (Photo by Kya Banasko/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For context, Birmingham’s spending to win League One is significantly greater than Pompey’s resources for next season. Meanwhile, The News understands that Wrexham’s salary budget will be more than double that of the Blues.
The teams expected to be in Pompey’s sphere next season will most likely stay ahead of them, with Derby County CEO Stephen Pearce confirming an increased playing budget for John Eustace. Then there’s Oxford United and Preston North End, with the latter thought to have far more options than the Blues.
That leaves the winners of Sunday’s League One play-off final between Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic, who are likely to finish at the bottom.
Fewer sides receive parachute payments.
Some good news comes in the form of fewer Championship sides receiving parachute payments in the 2025-26 season.
Only three relegated teams will receive a share of the Premier League’s £1.6 billion budget, which will be distributed over three seasons.
Sheffield United’s play-off victory will propel them back out of the division alongside Burnley, whereas Luton have dropped straight into League One. The other teams who would have received the payments are title winners Leeds, Southampton, and Leicester, all of whom have reset their counters with promotions in the previous three seasons.
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Casting envious glances at others’ financial muscle is not something Mousinho is willing to do, but a look at his squad’s position is enough to quietly enthuse.
Pompey are also 12 months further down the Championship road in terms of experience, even compared to those entering the division with frightening resources.
Although Mousinho is hesitant to measure improvements in league position after finishing 16th unexpectedly, there are opportunities to improve squad balance and consistency next season. That prospect fuels the Pompey manager’s enthusiasm for the subject.
‘We’ve never had any illusions about where we’re going to be in the structure. It’s not a secret, right? Birmingham will likely outspend everyone, while Wrexham has plenty of money.
‘But one thing we know we did this year is compete at the level. I just think it’s really exciting to be able to maximise what we can do with the resources we have.
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