Transfer freeze for Portsmouth as debt chaos continues

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON - Portsmouth have been banned from registering any new players until further notice, the Premier League said on Wednesday, as the financial turmoil surrounding the south-coast club continues.

Portsmouth, bottom of the league after only one win and a draw in their first 10 games, were taken over earlier this month by Saudi Arabian businessman Ali al Faraj.

He bought 90 percent of the club's shares from Sulaiman al Fahim who took over in August but struggled to refinance the club's debt.

Last month payments to some of the first team squad were delayed and despite the sale of many leading players over the last 18 months, the club is still struggling with debt.

Local media reported that the freeze on signing new players would apply until debts to other clubs had been cleared, though the Premier League would confirm only that the ban was in place.

On Tuesday Portsmouth had their best result of the season when their depleted side beat a second-string Stoke City side 4-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup.