BAN BLOW FOR HART

THE Premier League will maintain a transfer ban on Portsmouth until they settle outstanding debts to several top clubs.

Pompey boss Paul Hart was shocked last week when his bid to sign out-of-contract midfielder Eugen Bopp was blocked by top- flight chiefs.

It then emerged the club had been under a transfer ban because of unpaid fees to Arsenal for Lassana Diarra and Chelsea for Glen Johnson, who have since moved on.

Pompey also still owe cash to French club Rennes for striker John Utaka and fees for Jamie O'Hara, who is on loan from Tottenham.

A Premier League source admitted: "Until outstanding cash is paid by Portsmouth, then they will be unable to sign any player. That ban will continue until such time as the money is paid.

"If it isn't come January, then the club will not be able to operate in the transfer window."

The embargo would effectively be lifted come January because the Premier League will withhold £4million of a due £10m payment from TV and sponsorship.

Having withheld that money, the league will then distribute it to those clubs owed money by Portsmouth.

By then, the true investment of the club's new Saudi owner Ali Al- Faraj will become clear and also the intentions of potential new joint investors, Balram Chainrai and Levi Kushnir.

Sources from the Premier League believe the confused state of affairs will be resolved soon.

But they still maintain the threat of moving in to sort out matters should the new owners of the club not fulfil their pledges.

That means Pompey still run the risk of suffering a nine-point deduction if new money does not materialise and they are forced into administration.

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