Storrie rules out departures

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Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie insists the club will not be parting with any more major stars.

The South Coast outfit have already seen Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe head for Real Madrid and Tottenham respectively.

While considerable funds have been generated from those sales it has come as no consolation to a despondent Fratton Park fan base.

Aware that supporters are growing increasingly concerned at the state of their club, and with a host of top stars still being linked with January moves elsewhere, Storrie has sought to bring an end to the discontent by reiterating his stance on transfer policy.

"Let me make it abundantly clear - there will be no more players sold," he told The News.

"We do not need to sell any more players. Jermain wanted to go, so he went and I can assure you he will be the only one.

"As far as anyone else wanting to leave, there have been no others speaking to me about it whatsoever.

"Everyone else is perfectly happy at this football club.

"None of the others will be leaving. We are now concentrating on bringing others in and strengthening the squad."

Storrie admits Pompey were reluctant to let Defoe leave, but concedes that they were powerless to prevent an unsettled player from securing a switch during the current transfer window.

The England international ultimately spent just 12 months at Fratton Park, after signing for £9million in 2008, but did earn the club a tidy profit as he departs for a £15m fee.

"At the end of the day, you want to keep a player like Jermain Defoe but clearly his head had been turned," he added.

"When you get in that situation, sometimes you can persuade players to stay, other times it's quite clear they have no intention of changing their mind.

"Really, with Jermain that was that - his mind was made up and he wanted to go.

"Of course it was disappointing, but there was nothing we could do about it. He had made his position quite clear.

"In the end we got a good deal for him. Effectively, we got him on loan for a year and have made £6m profit in the process."
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