Pompey to be sold by start of July

Storrie insists there will not be a fire-sale of players at Fratton Park this summer.

Storrie told the News of the World: “I am in advanced talks (to sell the club) with two interested parties and believe a deal will be struck by the start of July.

“That’s when the transfer window opens and that’s when we will need to know what money we have to prepare for next season. So I am optimistic about the club’s future.

“I have heard all the doom and gloom stories about us being loaded with a mountain of debt which will mean we have to have a fire-sale of players in the summer. But I am telling you that’s absolute rubbish.

“Sasha has been very open and honest about this. He made it clear earlier in the season that he would not continue to invest in the club and that he wanted to sell.

“And I can tell you he will lose a lot of money when he does complete the sale of the club – money that would make most people wince.

“But he is prepared to do that because he is so concerned about the long-term future of this club.”

Reports claim current owner Sasha Gaydamak will take a £30million hit when he sells the club.

Storrie added: “My role for most of the season has been trying to cut costs and I have managed to do that, from facing a £16m loss to a point where I believe we will now break even.

“That is some achievement in itself and, obviously, makes Portsmouth a more attractive proposition to potential investors. The other advantage is that all the debt is the personal debt of the owner Sasha Gaydamak, not the club.

“And Sasha is very generously and courageously dealing with that debt himself.”