Storrie dismisses 'financial difficulty' at Portsmouth
Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie has dismissed suggestions that the south coast club must sell several of their stars this month to balance the books as “a load of rubbish”.
Owner Alexandre Gaydamak is known to be open to offers for the FA Cup holders and reports have repeatedly called Pompey’s financial situation into question.
Midfielder Lassana Diarra has already left for Real Madrid in a £20m deal and Jermain Defoe is widely expected to follow him out of Fratton Park before the end of January.
But Storrie insists any departures in the current transfer window will be at the club’s discretion and not as a result of financial necessity.
“Quite simply the media speculation is a load of rubbish,” Storrie told www.portsmouthfc.co.uk.
“The club is not in any financial difficulty. Yes, we are up for sale, but so are about a third of Premier League clubs.
“Sacha Gaydamak will only sell to a buyer who is prepared to invest and take the club to the next level. If that doesn’t happen he will continue to support Portsmouth Football Club in the same way that he has for the past three years.
“Having sold Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid we do not have to sell any more players.”
Storrie has even told supporters to expect some fresh talent at the club in the coming weeks.
“We have already secured the permanent signing of Nadir Belhadj and Tony (Adams, manager) and I are working on getting some other new faces in as quickly as we can to bolster the squad,” he added.
“We are also in the process of offering new deals to some of the players who are out of contract at the end of the season.”
Defoe, who phoned in sick for training this morning with a virus, has been strongly linked with a move to Aston Villa and to former club Tottenham, now managed by ex-Pompey boss Harry Redknapp.
Storrie admits the diminutive striker is free to depart if a buyer can be found at the right price.
“Jermain Defoe seems to want to leave and Tony Adams said publicly on the day he took the manager’s job that he only wants players here who want to play for the club,” Storrie said.
“Should we sell Jermain it will only be at the right price. Spurs are clearly interested but if they want him they will have to match our valuation. It will be on our terms. And if he goes, he will be the only one and he will be replaced.
“Even then it will be up to Tony, so I don’t envisage any other movement out except for some players who are out of contract at the end of the season and are not figuring in the first-team squad.”
