Peterborough United should have a Premier League player in their squad by the end of the week
Peterborough United will introduce a Premier League midfielder to their squad this week.
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony made the revelation on the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast. He didn’t offer a name, but the PT understands it will be a young Manchester City player following the success of Jadel Katongo’s loan spell from the Premier League champions last season.
Posh are also in the market for a right-back and two centre-backs. MacAnthony also revealed Posh were close to signing a centre-back earlier this summer, but were beaten financially by a League One rival at the last minute. That player is believed to Lewis Brunt who joined Wrexham from Leicester City after spending last season on loan at Mansfield.
"We are the second biggest spenders in League One this summer having laid out around £1.6 million,” MacAnthony said. “But it’s a difficult market with one League One club regularly paying over the odds.
“We have purchased some talented young players and we are still looking to do business. We had had one young centre-back almost through the door when our Welsh friends offered him about £3k more a week so he went there which is fine. I have no issue with that. We’ve done that with players in the past.
"We do have a Premier League central midfielder coming in on August 2. He’s currently abroad with his club and he’s been playing for them. He will compete with Archie Collins and Hector Kyprianou. We are also working on defender deals. It’s one the toughest summers I’ve known re transfers.
"But if you wanted to build an ideal centre-back it would be Emmanuel Fernandez. He’s a Colossus and doesn’t get the credit he deserves from fans who are quick to criticise, but not so quick to praise him. We frightened Ricardo Santos out of our club with talk like that. Manny just needs to improve his concentration and to cut out his mistakes and he does that by playing games.”
Posh have introduced new players Chris Conn-Clarke, Cian Hayes, George Nevett, Rio Adebisi, Abraham Odoh and Jack Sparkes to the club this summer, and re-signed goalkeeper Jed Steer.