Portsmouth have been given permission by the Premier League to sell players early subject to certain conditions which essentially mean that they cannot play for another club this season. Now that Portsmouth have been given their points deduction and are certain to be relegated, the Premier League is taking a more relaxed attitude towards them, although there is still the possibility of additional fines for breaches of the rules. What the Premiership wants to avoid above
Portsmouth have been given permission by the Premier League to sell players early subject to certain conditions which essentially mean that they cannot play for another club this season. Now that Portsmouth have been given their points deduction and are certain to be relegated, the Premier League is taking a more relaxed attitude towards them, although there is still the possibility of additional fines for breaches of the rules. What the Premiership wants to avoid above everything else is a scenario in which Pompey are unable to fulfil their fixtures, throwing the competition into chaos. Hence, their willingness to cut them some slack.
The challenge now is to find a credible buyer, the Cheshire consortium, about the administrator had always expressed doubts, looking a less sure bet with its composition apparently changing over the last couple of weeks. It could be that Balram Chainrai will eventually end up in charge: that might be the best way financial way forward for him. Whether it would be the best solution for the club is another matter. Above all, the club needs to get a CVA sorted as soon as possible to avoid a further points deduction in the Championship and a Leeds-like plunge down the tables, But that depends in part on the attitude of Revenue and Customs who are understandably not feeling all that charitable towards football clubs at the moment.