PORTSMOUTH FAILED to pay their players and staff on the due date again yesterday, the fourth occasion this season they have missed the deadline.

It is a further blow after chief executive Peter Storrie said his position and that of manager Avram Grant were “untenable”. The pair feel sidelined over the proposed sale of Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic to Tottenham Hotspur.

The deals for Begovic and Kaboul are still being negotiated. Portsmouth are reliant on the net return of around €6.5 million for the transfer of Kaboul, which they hope will go through this morning, to pay the overdue salaries.

Portsmouth now hope that the wages will be in the accounts of players and staff by the close of the weekend.

Professional Footballers Association senior executive Nick Cusack, who had been liaising with Portsmouth’s players, was unavailable for comment.

Storrie told ESPN Soccernet yesterday: “I don’t intend to quit now I’ve slept on it and, although I cannot speak for Avram, from what we have talked about this morning I don’t think he will quit either.

“And, let’s face it, we both have good reason to walk out. I am no longer involved in the finances, I am not involved in the transfer negotiations and Avram doesn’t know what players are being sold. The two best players on the pitch in our last game against West Ham, Kaboul and Begovic, (are to be) sold to Spurs and, who knows, it might not stop there.

“That’s not good for Avram, so you can understand why he is frustrated and angry about it. But at least it will keep the club alive for two or three months, maybe until the end of the season, which gives time to sort out what is going on here.”

While Grant is still weighing up his options, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp claimed he was buying Kaboul and Begovic only after the Israeli assured him that he understood players had to be sold to ease finances.

“I said if you don’t want to sell them, Avram, we won’t get involved,” said Redknapp. “(Grant) said: ‘We need to sell them. We need to make the sales otherwise we are in trouble’.”

There was better news for Portsmouth’s fight against relegation – they are four points from safety – before tomorrow’s visit to Manchester City, with the re-signing of Jamie O’Hara on loan from Spurs.

Guardian Service