Cash-strapped Portsmouth allowed to sell players

Cash-strapped Portsmouth were given permission by the English Premier League (EPL) on Wednesday to sell players before the end of this season.

Bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth applied to the EPL last month to sell players outside the transfer window but this was refused.

However, following an EPL board meeting last week where Portsmouth were deducted nine points for entering administration, a move that all but assured the south coast side of relegation, the Premier League have now granted them permission to make sales in certain circumstances with immediate effect.

An EPL statement issued Wednesday said: “The Premier League board meeting that convened last week to consider the administration of Portsmouth FC dealt with a number of matters beyond just the application of the sporting sanction (deduction of nine points).

“In accordance with Premier League rules, postponement of the suspension of Portsmouth FC as a member club was conditional on a number of undertakings being given by the administrators.

“These have now been received to the satisfaction of the board and therefore it has decided to allow Portsmouth FC to make player sales under the following circumstances:

“1. Players may be sold to other Premier League clubs but may not play first-team football for the new club before the end of the season.

“2. Players may be sold to a Football League or foreign club, subject to FIFA’s approval.

“3. Portsmouth FC may enter into an agreement with another Premier League, Football League or foreign club that a player will be transferred to that other club in the summer.”

Despite debts of some 65 million pounds (97 million dollars), Portsmouth are in the semi-finals of this season’s FA Cup – a tournament they won in 2008 while on Saturday they defeated fellow strugglers Hull 3-2 at Fratton Park.

But even after that win, Portsmouth were still 11 points behind second-bottom Hull with just eight league games left this season.

Pompey are at home to title-chasing Chelsea later on Wednesday.