Pompey sign Alli on loan from Luton Town

Portsmouth have signed Irish winger Millenic Alli on loan for the rest of the season from League One side Luton Town.

The 25-year-old joined the Hatters from Exeter City in a deal reported to be worth £1.5m last January.

Since then he has made 38 appearances, scoring five times and assisting on three occasions.

This season Alli has played 22 times across all competitions, scoring once and registering three assists.

But recently the forward - who can play across the front three - has fallen out of favour and was left out of Luton's last five matchday squads for their League One games.

"He's a player that we've admired for a while," Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"He came into the Championship last season off the back of a really impressive couple of seasons at Exeter and I think he was one of the bright sparks in the back end of a tough season for Luton.

"It's also a position we've been looking to fill so we're delighted to have him in, I think it's a really positive early signing for us."

On the face of it signing a player on loan who can't currently get into a League One matchday squad might be underwhelming.

The reality in January is, unless you have big money to splash (which Pompey don't), you are looking to sign players who are out of favour.

Last January Rob Atkinson and Isaac Hayden arrived without having made a single appearance that season and both made very positive impacts.

Alli has already shown last season he can make a difference in the Championship, having battled up through non-league football. Pompey urgently need wingers given their injury situation.

This could well be the only signing for Pompey before the trip to Sheffield Wednesday. A busy second half of the window is now required.