Asks Jake Farrell
It has been a galling year for Pompey fans in general but it could be about to get worse. Sunderland are rumoured to be offering £2 million for the services of Nigerian striker John Utaka. Utaka signed from Rennes in 2007 and is now synonymous with the absurd financial mess down on the South Coast.
The winger started a paltry 31 Premier League game, scored just 7 goals in the process and took home around £80,000 a week. Should he stay until the end of his contract he will have cost Portsmouth £23 million. Perhaps then it is best that they offload the forward as soon as possible as all the potency he displayed during his time with Rennes and Lens seems to have dissapeared. Despite having the natural attributes that suggest he would be at ease in the English game Utaka’s pace and skill have been shown all to little during his time here.
Still, there is enough about him to prompt an enquiry from Steve Bruce who will be hoping that he can rediscover the form that made him such an attractive proposition just 3 years ago. Should he do so it could be one of the transfer snips of the summer. Utaka has the potential to score goals on a regular basis and on his day could be a handful for even the most miserly of Premier League defenses. However he has not given any evidence to suggest that he can turn in good performances on a regular basis. Should he move to Sunderland and the continue his poor form Steve Bruce will come in for serious criticism.
