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Storrie and Grant up in arms over Kaboul deal

Peter Storrie and Avram Grant are growing increasingly impatient at the running of Portsmouth Football Club © Getty Images

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Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie and manager Avram Grant are so shocked by events in the last 24 hours over transfer talks behind the scenes at the club that they are both contemplating quitting.

Mark Jacobs, the club's executive director, is also deeply upset that Portsmouth's owners have decided to listen to an offer from Tottenham for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as well as £11 million-rated defender Younes Kaboul.

Storrie has told Soccernet that he will make up his mind whether to resign at the weekend, while sources close to Grant believe the manager might also leave if the conflict behind the scenes continues.

Storrie said: "I don't know what I am going to do, I am sick and tired of it. I will think over my position and make up my mind at the weekend. If I go maybe Avram might go too, I don't know. I must say I am not really in the right frame of mind to discuss this..."

A close associate of Pompey manager Grant also told Soccernet: "Avram has talked about walking out, but the club are doing their best to keep him. Avram is a big, big fighter. The club must realise he wants to quit, but Avram believes he can keep the club up, although not if the club sell their best players."

The remarkable split within the ranks is over the imminent sale of Kaboul back to Spurs, and concerns have been raised with news of talks over selling Begovic who has been in fine form in the absence of David James.

Storrie has been sidelined in the negotiations and Grant is shocked that the club are selling one of their best players when they need him to fight the relegation battle. The club, though, urgently need to sell Kaboul to enable them to pay this month's wage bill, which is sure to be late as it is due on Friday.

"I would have thought I would be the best person to negotiate the sale of a player; if we sell at all it must be at the right price, but I have been sidelined,'' Storrie said. ''I should imagine the club need to sell the player to pay the wage bill."

Spurs are still owed £2 million from the sale of Kaboul to Portsmouth in 2008, so the club would have to take that off any potential transfer fee, and both Storrie and Grant feel Pompey should not sell their prime asset for such a low figure.

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