Pompey ‘explored’ the possibility of signing a Brazil forward with a €60m release clause.

Portsmouth reportedly explored the possibility of signing Brazilian forward Robinho Jr during their negotiations with Santos for Gustavo Caballero earlier this summer.

The latest revelation highlights just how extensive Pompey’s search for new recruits has become, with the Championship club continuing to look beyond the traditional transfer markets in their efforts to strengthen John Mousinho’s squad.

Portsmouth have already adopted an increasingly international approach to recruitment during the current transfer window. Their summer business has taken them into several different countries, with Spain, Norway, New Zealand and Ireland all providing new additions.

Marko Milovanovic arrived from Spain, while Rocco Shein was recruited from Norway. Luke Brooke-Smith joined from New Zealand, and Eoin Kenny was brought in from Ireland.

The Blues also attempted to complete a deal for Jesper Ceesay, who was playing in Turkey. However, that transfer eventually collapsed after the Gambia international failed to secure the required work permit.

Former Real Madrid and Brazil forward Robinho | Getty Images

Portsmouth Continuing International Recruitment

Portsmouth’s growing focus on overseas markets is based partly on the belief that they can find better value for money outside the more expensive domestic market.

The club initially concentrated heavily on Australia’s A-League as part of their recruitment strategy, but their scouting network has since expanded considerably.

Their willingness to search internationally has already brought several new players to Fratton Park, and it appears the club considered another potentially exciting addition during discussions with Santos.

Last January, Portsmouth secured the loan signing of Gustavo Caballero from the Brazilian club.

The winger played an important role in helping Pompey move away from danger during the second half of the Championship season. His performances contributed to the club successfully avoiding relegation and remaining in the second tier.

That prompted Portsmouth to consider making his stay permanent at the end of the campaign.

However, negotiations over a permanent transfer ultimately failed to produce an agreement.

Caballero Talks Led to Robinho Jr Discussions

Portsmouth were reportedly unwilling to pay the previously agreed transfer fee for Caballero, which was believed to be around £2.5 million.

The Blues had apparently concluded that the amount no longer accurately reflected the winger’s current market value and therefore decided against activating the deal.

But while discussions with Santos were taking place over Caballero, Portsmouth reportedly also asked about another player.

According to Sport Witness, Robinho Jr was discussed during the negotiations, with the Championship club attempting to understand what conditions would be required to sign the teenage attacker.

Robinho Jr is the son of former Brazil, Real Madrid and Manchester City forward Robinho, who enjoyed a high-profile career at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The younger Robinho has been developing at Santos and has attracted attention despite still being only 18 years old.

Portsmouth are understood to have sounded out Santos regarding the possibility of a transfer, but those discussions did not develop into a formal deal.

The Brazilian youngster remains at Santos for now, while reports suggest Portsmouth have since moved on from their interest.

Robinho Jr Could Still Leave Santos

Although Pompey are reportedly no longer pursuing Robinho Jr, his future at Santos remains uncertain.

Clubs from Spain and Italy are said to have been monitoring the teenager recently, suggesting that there could still be considerable interest in securing his services during the current transfer window.

Santos, meanwhile, are believed to be keen to generate funds from player sales as they continue to deal with financial difficulties.

That could potentially increase the likelihood of Robinho Jr leaving the club if an acceptable proposal arrives.

However, any interested club would have to carefully consider the financial demands surrounding the forward.

€8m Price Tag and €60m Clause

According to Sport Witness, Santos would reportedly be prepared to accept around €8 million for 75 per cent of Robinho Jr’s rights.

Alternatively, a loan agreement could potentially be negotiated, although such an arrangement would reportedly include an obligation to purchase the player at a later stage.

Those figures are particularly notable given the enormous release clause included in Robinho Jr’s current contract.

Despite having scored just once in 21 appearances, the teenager is reportedly protected by a €60 million release clause.

His contract with Santos is understood to run until June 2027.

The huge difference between the reported release clause and the amount Santos would apparently accept highlights the complicated nature of the situation.

For Portsmouth, agreeing a deal would have required navigating a number of financial and contractual considerations, particularly given the club’s need to operate carefully in the transfer market.

Another Complicated Overseas Deal

The reported Robinho Jr discussions also demonstrate the potential difficulties Portsmouth can face when pursuing players from overseas.

Although international recruitment can provide clubs with access to younger talent and potentially better value, deals can involve complicated ownership structures, work permit issues, release clauses and different contractual arrangements.

Pompey have already experienced those challenges this summer.

Their attempted move for Ceesay collapsed because of a work permit problem, while their negotiations over Caballero ultimately ended without a permanent transfer being completed.

The Robinho Jr situation appears to have been another example of a promising opportunity that failed to progress.

With the Brazilian teenager reportedly still available and attracting interest from clubs elsewhere in Europe, Portsmouth’s decision to walk away may prove to be a missed opportunity or a sensible piece of transfer business.

For now, though, Pompey have apparently ended their pursuit, leaving Santos to determine what comes next for the son of the former Brazil international.

The reported figures involved make the situation even more intriguing, especially considering Robinho Jr’s limited senior experience.

Portsmouth will continue searching for further additions as their summer recruitment campaign progresses, but the Robinho Jr story underlines that finding the right overseas targets is only the first step. Turning interest into affordable, workable deals can be considerably more difficult.