Fratton Park side fail to persuade the Premier League to change its rules.

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The Premier League has rejected struggling Portsmouth’s request for permission to sell players outside the transfer window.
Fifa, which sets transfer rules, had indicated it would look favourably on Pompey, who have debts of about £60m.
But the Premier League board has decided it would “not be appropriate” to grant the request.
Pompey are due in court on 1 March to contest a winding-up order which could see them go into administration.
Should that happen, the club, which is rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, will automatically lose nine points and almost certainly be relegated.

And there is even a real threat of the club going extinct, says financial expert Simon Wilson, as he believes administration is an unlikely option.
“Arguably, the level of debt associated with this case will mean that it is unlikely that a suitable or willing benefactor will be found,” said Wilson, a partner with restructuring experts Zolfo Cooper.
“Portsmouth therefore face the very real threat of liquidation because it is increasingly unlikely that an administration order will be sought or granted.
“In this eventuality, the players’ contracts are no longer assets of the club and it would lose its membership of the Premier League.”

Had Portsmouth’s transfer request been granted, helping them stave off administration, it would have aided their bid to stay in the Premier League but was likely to infuriate their fellow strugglers.
And a Premier League statement read: “The Premier League board can confirm they have been actively considering a request from Portsmouth to transfer players outside of the Transfer Window.
“We are grateful for positive assistance from Fifa and the FA but, having given the matter further consideration and taking into account all factors, the Premier League board have decided that this would not be an appropriate course of action at this time.” (BBC Sport)

There really was no alternative on this one. If the Premier League had made the debatable decision to give the south coast club a reprieve and changed the rules to suit the Fratton Park outfit then it would have opened up one hell of a can of worms.

Unfortunately for Portsmouth’s loyal fans it means the club is lurching ever closer to going into administration or perhaps even worse to being wound up entirely. However there it would have been grossly unfair to all other sides who had suffered the fate of losing ten points as a result of going into administration if Pompey had managed to skew the rules so as to allow them to sell players outside the transfer window.

Perhaps this move will help bring an end to the ever contentious transfer window?

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