Burnley & Portsmouth facing Premier League transfer battle for £4.25m-rated Gambian forward | OneFootball

Burnley and Portsmouth face Premier League competition in the race to sign highly-rated Gambian forward Abdoulie Manneh.

Burnley and Portsmouth are both linked with Gambian forward Abdoulie Manneh, but will need to see off Premier League competition if they are to secure his signature.

Manneh currently plies his trade in the Swedish top flight with Mjallby AIF and, has five goals in seven games so far in a rapid start to the 2025 season.

Equally adept out wide on the left wing as he is a striker, Manneh only joined the Scandinavian outfit in 2024 after undergoing a successful trial, but his stock is rising, and a move to England could soon be on the cards.

The Mirror's report has named Championship side Portsmouth and Burnley, who recently secured promotion into the Premier League, as the two EFL sides who are interested in signing the forward.

Manneh is currently said to be valued at £4.25 million by his club, and is under contract until December 2027, but it has been suggested that the figure could end up being reduced in any potential transfer deal.

Given that Portsmouth are the only club linked who will be playing in the second tier next season, they would likely be able to provide him with greater opportunities in the first-term from the off, instead of the Premier League sides who may see the player more as one to develop.

Burnley meanwhile are no stranger to investing in young talents in the last few years, and they appear to have two-cap Gambia international Manneh on their radar.

Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton and Hove Albion have expressed a desire to sign the 20-year-old, and the latter may benefit from one of their current players - Yankuba Minteh - sharing the same agent as Manneh.

Bournemouth are another club keen on the youngster, whose form in the Allsvenskan is attracting plenty of admirers.

Burnley & Portsmouth need to be cautious over potential Abdoulie Manneh deal - Sheffield United were stung with Benie Traore

Whilst there have been success stories when it comes to inexperienced players landing from Scandinavian leagues to England, it's not always the case - as proved recently with Sheffield United's deal for Benie Traore.

The Blades signed Traore from Swedish side BK Hacken for an undisclosed fee in 2023, the summer after they were promoted back to the top flight.

Traore was the top scorer in the league when he was signed, with 12 goals in 14 matches, but never got going at Bramall Lane and couldn't adapt to the pace of the Premier League, leaving after only eight matches played and zero goals scored - he's since gone on to be prolific for Basel in Switzerland, but that is evidently at a lower level.

The Blades went down that season with only 16 points, and the Clarets will hope to not face the same fate on a potentially decent investment.

Manneh may not follow the same fate should he go to the Prem, but it highlights the gap in level between the Swedish top division and the English Premier League, which may help Portsmouth out in trying to convince the forward to play in the second tier.

Pompey would also be able to fit Manneh into their formation, with the 4-2-3-1 that John Mousinho often plays with allowing him to play any of the three positions that he is comfortable in.