Heading For The Exit Door

Last updated : 08 December 2011 By Jim Bonner

It's that time of year again when the January transfer window is on the horizion and football fans will be speculating who will be coming and going out of their club.

As far as Pompey fans are concerned, the focus will be on who can be sold next month and for how much, given the current state of affairs at the club.

We have to face the fact that players may have to be sold against their will as a contigency plan to raise should the money dry up after the "short-term funds" deplete.

Selling assets would be one way of generating money to keep the club going longer should a buyer not be found in ample time and so it is fathomable that our "star" players could be sold next month as a necessity.

Nobody has said that they want to leave the club. In fact, I was surprised to see Liam Lawrence come out and say he wants to stay, given the strong rumours going around that he is to be reunited with Steve Cotterill at Nottingham Forest next month, raising some much needed money in the process.

One player who does look like leaving is Tal Ben-Haim. There are reports that the club can't afford his extortionate wages and so he is being forced out.

That would explain why Mattock has arrived and the Israeli can't even get on the bench now as Michael Appleton prepares for life without arguably Pompey's most consistent performer this season.

But as far as bankable assets go, Pompey don't have many, unlike the first time they were hit by a financial crisis.

If you take a look at our squad, how many players do we have that have any value? The only players I could see fetching more than a million are Lawrence and Huseklepp, though there might be a case for Halford too.

The other players are simply too old, too inexperienced or are almost at the end of their contracts to fetch any significant amount of money and that is a worry if the powers-that-be at Pompey intend to sell to raise future funds to keep the club afloat.

We should brace ourselves for a very difficult January much like last year. Expect to see some high profile outgoings and very little transfer activity coming in.

So, to answer the question "Who will be leaving in January?" - I believe the answer is "absolutely anyone".