Portsmouth have secured the services of 21-year-old forward Makenzie Kirk from St Johnstone in a deal for an undisclosed sum, with the Northern Ireland under-21 international signing a three-year contract.
The striker has agreed terms at Fratton Park, though the transfer remains pending international clearance.
Manager John Mousinho expressed his delight at the acquisition: “We’re bringing in a player who’s an incredibly exciting young prospect and has already featured in plenty of first team games up in Scotland.
“As well as being one for the future, we believe he’s someone who can have a positive impact on the side right now.
“We’re very excited to have Makenzie in our squad. I’m looking forward to working with him and watching him continue to develop.”
Kirk began his career at Hearts’ academy before making a significant impression with their ‘B’ team in the Lowland League, where he scored an remarkable 43 goals across 48 appearances.
The young forward earned his Scottish Premiership debut in a fixture against Ross County that ended in a draw, later gaining valuable experience during a loan spell with Hamilton Academical.
After joining St Johnstone last summer, Kirk enjoyed a productive first season with the Perth club, finding the net 11 times throughout the campaign.
His goalscoring form has continued into the current season, with four strikes in four League Cup group stage matches, during which he played alongside Portsmouth loanee Toby Steward.
This is the third biggest biggest news today from Pompey after the Kamara Exit and Josef Bursik signing today.
