Portsmouth hopeful ban will be lifted

Former owner Suleiman al-Fahim believes the transfer ban imposed on Pompey could be lifted early this week.

"The club has made the revenue payments and the embargo will be cleared by Tuesday or Wednesday," said Al Fahim. "The club will start to become stable by the end of this week. The threat of petition is no longer there."

Portsmouth cannot make new signings until they clear the transfer debts owed to other English clubs. The ban related to the transfers from Arsenal and Chelsea for Lassana Diarra and Glen Johnson respectively. Diarra joined Pompey for around £5m in January 2008 and moved on to Real Madrid for £20m 12 months later. Johnson moved in for £4m in August 2007 and was sold to Liverpool last summer for a fee reported to be £17.5m.

The club was sold to Saudi businessman Ali Al Faraj last month.