Freddie Potts reacts as Portsmouth announce arrival of West Ham academy graduate
Portsmouth have sealed the loan arrival of a former West Ham defender who was highly rated.
Clubs around England are fighting against the clock to finalise their winter transfer business ahead of the deadline on 2 February.
West Ham are among those clubs, with Nuno Espirito Santo still hopeful of some more arrivals to bolster their chances of avoiding the drop.
However, for now, those deals are still being negotiated at the London Stadium.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth have been working on some business of their own, having now announced the loan arrival of a name that many West Ham fans will be aware of.
Portsmouth complete Aji Alese signing
West Ham have had plenty of academy graduates depart over the last few years and make a career for themselves elsewhere, and Aji Alese is one of them.
Just two years after making his debut for the Hammers in the Carabao Cup, Alese joined Sunderland on a permanent deal in the Championship.
Since the move, Alese has made 46 appearances for the Black Cats, but his progress has been severely halted by injuries, hence his absence this season.
Now, the 25-year-old has completed a loan move to Portsmouth until the end of the campaign, as confirmed via a post on their official Instagram account.
Freddie Potts, having spent some time alongside Alese in West Ham’s academy set up, as well as time on loan at Fratton Park, liked the post announcing his latest move.
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Aji Alese set to face off against several former West Ham teammates
Very few West Ham academy stars have been able to make the step up over the last few years, with many of them either shipped out on loan or sold.
Alese is, of course, one of them, and his return to the Championship will see him come up against several of his former teammates.
George Earthy is out on loan at Bristol City, and Divin Mubama, who left West Ham permanently back in 2024, is currently on loan at Stoke City.
For West Ham, they will no doubt be keen to see Alese prove his worth in the Championship, having included a sell-on clause in the deal that saw him move to the Stadium of Light initially.
However, for him, proving his fitness will be the first priority.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.