Portsmouth ask Premier League to let them sell players NOW to pay bills - Exclusive
Published 23:00 17/02/10 By Alan Nixon
Crisis club Portsmouth will ask the Premier League to let them sell some of their players NOW in a bid to pay their bills.
Pompey want summit talks with Premier officials to see if they will be allowed to find buyers for Algeria World Cup star Nadir Belhadj, midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng and young defender Mark Wilson.
It would mean doing deals immediately - outside the transfer window - and that would have to be approved by the Premier League and FIFA as the Fratton Park problems mount.
Portsmouth put in their Statement of Affairs to the High Court yesterday as they try to prove they are still solvent and can pay a £11million-plus tax bill on March 1.
However Pompey are likely to need a major injection of cash to balance the books. Potential investors may not have the time to complete deals and so the Premier League are now their most probable saviour.
As MirrorFootball revealed last week, there is the possibility of advancing a parachute payment but that would probably need approval from rival clubs.
Pompey could sort out their own mess by selling some of their assets to get through the immediate problem - and find the cash to pay the wages for the rest of the season.
Belhadj has been a success and could fine a buyer, Boateng is also an attractive option while home-grown centre half Wilson is also a potential sale.
If any of those players go they might not be able to play again for anyone this season which is a further snag. Belhadj needs games as he is going to the World Cup and Boateng has already played for two clubs.
Only Wilson could comfortably be sold and then put in cold storage. However all of this unique plan would have to be rubber-stamped in a hurry.
Most of the rest of the current Pompey side are either too old or too highly-paid to find buyers, while around half-a-dozen are only there on loan.
Leading Premier League officials were locked in talks about how to help Pompey last night. It would be a nightmare if they went bust and failed to fulfil their fixtures, but that will happen if there is not a rescue package in place.
