Portsmouth Championship rivals under new embargo as EFL confirmation drops
John Mousinho is looking up the Championship at Portsmouth after surviving relegation, with trouble brewing elsewhere already.
With a second consecutive season of second-tier football ahead for the Blues, there is reason to be excited at Fratton Park.
However, it will be no easy task as the South Coast club have one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, despite Michael Eisner being keen to reduce that gap.
With the promotion of Wrexham and Birmingham City, things will surely only be tougher, although a blow to another rival could ease that pressure.
EFL confirm transfer embargo
Although Portsmouth came too close to the relegation zone at times, it was a battle that involved plenty of sides in the Championship.
By the time the campaign ended, there were just 10 points separating Portsmouth in 16th and Cardiff City at the bottom of the league, highlighting just how close things were.
| Portsmouth | 54 |
| Oxford United | 53 |
| Stoke City | 51 |
| Derby County | 50 |
| Preston North End | 50 |
| Hull City | 49 |
| Luton Town | 49 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 46 |
| Cardiff City | 44 |
This should give Portsmouth some hope that if they can make the right additions during the summer, they can easily pull themselves away.
That hope may not be the same at Sheffield Wednesday, though.
BBC Sheffield journalist Rob Staton shared on 5 June that the Owls have now been placed under a transfer embargo, as per the EFL website.
Staton reports that the reason for this is for not paying their players, per Regulation 54.1.
In a reply to another tweet, Staton did claim that once wages are paid, the embargo will end, but any sanctions issued in the meantime will carry over.
Portsmouth to seek stable growth
Given how low Pompey have had to go since their top-flight days, naturally, everyone inside Fratton Park is eager to see progression.
Having one of the smallest budgets in the second tier doesn’t particularly help in that respect, but while frustrating, Esiner and Mousinho must find ways to work around it this summer.
When you look at the positions that other sides find themselves in financially, due to mismanagement at the top, it does serve as a reminder that stable growth has to be the most important thing.
Eisner surely must be looking at options for expansion at Fratton Park, knowing that it could solve some of the issues faced on the South Coast.
Portsmouth supporters will surely be pleased at the fact that they are a side in a stable position, though, with the hope of steady growth on top of that.