Richard Hughes has made Portsmouth's interest in Abu Kamara plain. He also said any move back to Fratton Park would still need several pieces to line up before it became more than an idea.
Kamara's previous spell is the reason Portsmouth are even talking about this. He joined the club on loan in 2023 and helped them win the League One title with 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. Hughes said Kamara is halfway through a four-year contract at Hull City, and he added that Hull's sporting director has left and the club have been promoted, which makes any deal harder to sort.
The Kamara door is open
The clearest line came straight from Hughes: "But if there was an opportunity for us to explore, to try and bring Abu Kamara back, would we be interested? Yes, we absolutely would be." He was just as direct earlier in the interview, saying: "Abu is a player we really like and the honest answer (if we will sign him) is I don't know at the minute."
That is not a move announcement. It is a club saying the player is on the list, and saying it loudly. The appeal is obvious enough, given what Kamara produced on loan, and Portsmouth are not trying to hide that.
Portsmouth still have work to do
The Kamara conversation sits inside a wider summer rebuild. Portsmouth have already made two additions, Odin Bailey and Eoin Kenny, and Hughes said more work is needed before the Championship season starts against QPR on 15 August.
He also revealed another chase that got close before falling away. Portsmouth wanted Luke Graham from Dundee, agreed a fee with the club and personal terms with the player, but Stoke City won that race. Hughes called it frustrating and said the club had tried hard to get the deal concluded.
For now, Kamara is a serious possibility rather than a finished story. Portsmouth have shown their interest, but the route back to Fratton Park still depends on whether the summer market gives them a chance to act.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →