Portsmouth sign Pele (no, not that one) as Mullins joins him at Fratton Park

26 January 2009 10:56
Big-name signing: Pele poses with the Portsmouth shirt after signing on at Fratton Park for the rest of the season The signings continue manager Tony Adams' busy month in the transfer market with Jermaine Pennant arriving on loan from Liverpool last week and Nadir Belhadj agreeing a permanent deal. Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra have also left the club. Mullins' move, for an undisclosed fee thought to be£2million, comes just two days after his final appearance for the Hammers, as a substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Hartlepool. The 29-year-old has spent the past five years at Upton Park after an£800,000 move from Palace and has made 21 appearances this season.   More... FA CUP fifth round draw: Watford set for Chelsea test, Hull face Sheffield United, Swansea host Fulham and West Ham meet Middlesbrough Hartlepool 0 West Ham 2: Noble spot on for Hammers to end hopes of Hartlepool Portsmouth 0 Swansea 2: It's looking Dyer for Adams and Pompey as holders crash out Mullins told the club's website: It was a little bit of a shock. I trained on Sunday with West Ham after the game on Saturday and then it all happened very quickly, but I'm very pleased to have joined. 'It was a great experience to have worked under Gianfranco Zola but it's a great challenge here to come and work with some really talented players. 'I enjoyed my time at West Ham but I was there for five years and thought that maybe it was time for a change. 'Portsmouth are a club with a lot of history. They won the FA Cup last year, so I'm very excited to be here.' Hayden Mullins is set to swap West Ham for Posrtsmouth Pele, a Portugal Under-21s international, is a 21-year-old attacking midfielder who has previously played for Inter Milan and scored in last year's Italian cup final. Pompey have reached an agreement with Porto that will allow them to buy the player at the end of the season should he impress. Pele said: 'It's always been an ambition of mine to play in England, to play in the Premier League. I've always watched English football, and the crowds are always great here. 'England is the home of football, so it's fantastic to get this opportunity.' Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie has reported both deals were concluded quickly. Storrie said: 'Tony and I decided to move for Hayden on Saturday night. We got hold of West Ham on Sunday morning, and I think they were a bit surprised that we wanted to get the deal done so quickly. 'Hayden's an experienced player who has played exceptionally well against us in the past. He's a guy with immense experience in the Premier League, and that's what we need in this situation. He wanted regular football, because he has been in and out of the West Ham side. 'Pele's an exciting young talent. He did well for Inter before joining Porto. But there was a change of manager at Porto, who switched it around a bit, and the boy was desperate to move. 'I spoke to him on Saturday evening, and he was on the plane here within 24 hours - which tells you exactly about his eagerness. He's an expensive player, so it's a deal with an option to buy - so we can both have a look at each other.'   More... FA CUP fifth round draw: Watford set for Chelsea test, Hull face Sheffield United, Swansea host Fulham and West Ham meet Middlesbrough Hartlepool 0 West Ham 2: Noble spot on for Hammers to end hopes of Hartlepool Portsmouth 0 Swansea 2: It's looking Dyer for Adams and Pompey as holders crash out  

Source: Daily_Mail