O'Hara tops Pompey targets

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara tops Portsmouth’s list of targets after the Premier League yesterday removed a transfer embargo on the south coast club.

Pompey have been unable to register new players since October after concerns over unpaid football debts – most notably concerning fees owed to Udinese for the departed Sulley Muntari – but now have just under a week before the January window shuts to bolster their relegation-threatened squad.

Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, who took the top job following Paul Hart’s sacking two months ago, is sure to have his own targets but the first order of business is a new loan deal for O’Hara.

The 23-year-old spent the first half of the season at Fratton Park but despite an agreement being in place between Spurs and Portsmouth to extend the deal until the end of the campaign, he was forced to return to London due to the embargo.

Now chief executive Peter Storrie has revealed the club are hoping to get O’Hara back as soon as possible, as well as up to three more new faces.

Recruitment is unlikely to be straightforward, with the club’s financial struggles meaning they are restricted to short-term deals and free transfers, but additions are almost certain.