No One Wants to Leave

Portsmouth’s Chief Executive, Peter Storrie, is growing rather angry with the lack of player departures at the club.

Pompey have made a host of fringe players available to other clubs, however none seem to want move away and would rather collect their high wages each week and remain on the bench.

Players such as Sean Davis and Djimi Traore have rejected the opportunity to join clubs such as Celtic and Hull City. It’s a situation that isn’t helping the club at all. They now need to sell players before they can buy again but with no one wanting to leave it means no one new can enter.

David Nugent has attracted interest from Ipswich Town, with Jim Magilton keen to bolster his attack and have more striking options available. However it is reported that Nugent is reluctant to step down a division and instead try and remain in the Premier League. Richard Duffy is another player Redknapp wouldn’t mind being sold, deemed surplus to requirements by the club.

Storrie has said that the situation is starting to get a bit weary and stressful for everyone concerned, which has led him to question the player’s motives that have chosen to stay.

The Pompey Chief told The News, “We know we have to see before we can buy but that just isn’t happening at the moment.

“The money from the sale of Sulley (Muntari to Inter Milan) has gone towards the players we have bought since the summer of 2007. His last club Udinese were also owed a percentage.

“Others need to go and while obviously one or two players are looking to move on so far no-one else.

“We have had one or two enquiries from other clubs and we gave our permission but the players didn’t want to join the clubs involved. That is the frustrating thing. Big-name clubs like Celtic have been turned down by one of our players – what can you do?

“We need to move some fringe players on so we can reduce the wages. At that point we can then look to invest again.

“It’s frustrating but there isn’t a lot you can do if the player doesn’t fancy the move.”