Portsmouth FC may fear losing John Mousinho star this summer - These 3 Championship clubs should be sniffing around | OneFootball

Football League World looks at three Championship clubs who should be considering a summer move for Portsmouth winger Josh Murphy

Portsmouth will likely avoid suffering an immediate relegation back down to League One this season, and can owe much of that to the performances of Josh Murphy.

The talented winger moved to Fratton Park on a free transfer after rejecting the offer of a new contract with fellow newly-promoted Oxford United, whom he guided out of League One by netting both goals in their 2-0 play-off final victory over Bolton Wanderers at Wembley.

Murphy, who has previously built up a wealth of Championship experience with the likes of Norwich City and Cardiff, has enjoyed a dramatic career resurgence over the last eighteen months, and is arguably displaying the most consistent form of his entire career on the south coast.

He has been one of the very best wingers in the Championship in 24/25 and has already recorded double digits for assists, while he has also been productive infront of goal.

Murphy penned a three-year contract last summer, and Portsmouth also have the option to extend his deal by a further year.

As things stand, John Mousinho - who said he would not swap Murphy for any other Championship winger - has revealed he is not worried about losing the 30-year-old, but his performances do leave Pompey susceptible to potentially seeing him prized away.

With that in mind, Football League World has taken a look at three Championship rivals who could represent a good fit for Murphy if he was to seek the exit door.

Norwich City

One potential destination this summer could be Norwich, where Murphy started his career alongside twin brother Jacob - now of Newcastle United, of course - after rising through the club's youth ranks.

Murphy made more than 100 appearances for the Canaries and returned the most prolific campaign of his career to date in his final year at Carrow Road, with his 11-goal haul across all competitions promptly earning an £11 million move to Cardiff in the summer of 2018.

He was often criticised for a lack of consistency by the Canaries faithful - a recurring theme with the Bluebirds thereafter - but Murphy is now a more rounded, consistent player these days. The experienced wide-man may well believe he's served his time at Norwich, but could also feel he has unfinished business with the club.

Either way, he would be a shrewd fit in Johannes Hoff Thorup's side.

Norwich favour a possession-based style under the Dane, who also has an emphasis on wing-play, and that has seen Borja Sainz transform into a star this term.

The Spaniard, also a left-sided winger, is the Championship's top scorer this season but looks poised to leave in the summer amid fresh interest from promotion hopefuls Sheffield United.

Acquiring Murphy then, would go some way to filling Sainz's void.

West Bromwich Albion

Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion were among a number of second-tier sides linked to Murphy's signature towards the end of his time at the Kassam Stadium, and it would come as no surprise to see their interest rekindled this summer.

Left-winger Mikey Johnston has been more impressive than the numbers would suggest since making a permanent move to the Hawthorns following his hugely successful loan stay from Celtic last time out, but his end product remains a source of frustration and Murphy, who has been among the most productive players in the Championship this term, could offer a real upgrade in that sense.

The Baggies will also need more creativity from wide areas if academy product Tom Fellows, currently of significant interest to Everton, moves on in the coming months. Fellows' pinpoint crossing has given West Brom a real outlet all season and it's one that may well need replacing.

That's one of Murphy's very best attributes, though, meaning this is also a move which would tick plenty of boxes.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough could also prove a potentially-appealing destination for Murphy, who may fancy his chances at breaking into a side likely to compete for promotion - if Michael Carrick's side fail to go up this season, of course.

Boro would likely have the financial clout needed to sign a player likely to command a fair fee considering his importance and the security Pompey have with his long-term contract, too.

Any potential move would be dependent on whether Finn Azaz remains at the Riverside Stadium alongside the outcome of Boro's promotion bid.

Azaz, an attacking midfielder by trade, has often played wide-left this term and has been sensational under Carrick. It would come as no surprise to see the former Plymouth Argyle playmaker poached this summer, and if that is the case, Boro could do a lot worse than going in for Murphy as a potential replacement.