Portsmouth chief sets record straight after social media meltdown over Sunderland transfer deal

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Andy Cullen has finally set the record straight on Pompey’s handling of the Adil Aouchiche move which saw them come under fire from some supporters.

The proposed loan deal for the Sunderland attacker received intense scrutiny on Friday after French journalist Santi Aouna claimed on social media that it had been ‘completely blocked’.

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Instead he would need to claim an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) spot, yet the Blues’ full quota of four were already taken - in theory putting the Aouchiche deal at risk.

However, the Sunderland man was subsequently signed and has now received clearance following Nicolas Schmid’s transition into a GBE player at the culmination of the transfer window, having fulfilled the points criteria.

Regardless, Cullen insists Pompey were in control of the situation all along - and is unhappy with the social media meltdown which saw many question his staff’s ability to handle the deal.

Cullen told The News: ‘It’s a problem when you have transfers played out on social media, all sorts of innuendo is discussed and placed, perhaps through a lack of clarity and understanding on new rules which have come in.

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Santi Aouna's Tweet about Pompey's progress on the Adil Aouchiche deal sparked a social media meltdown.Santi Aouna's Tweet about Pompey's progress on the Adil Aouchiche deal sparked a social media meltdown.
Santi Aouna's Tweet about Pompey's progress on the Adil Aouchiche deal sparked a social media meltdown. | None

‘We were absolutely fine with the situation. It’s about understanding the rules and being absolutely sure of it. We interpreted the rules and are very, very confident in that interpretation, as are other cubs which are doing it alongside Pompey.

‘What I do feel strongly about is professional, hard-working members of staff being taken to task on social media.

‘That is the nature of the beast, it’s unfortunate and that’s why we don’t comment on any transfer until it is completed.

‘There’s a whole myriad of rules and regulations when it comes to the registration of players - and we have professional people dealing with it.

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‘Over the window, there were a number of Championship clubs going through the same process as us last week. We weren’t alone.’

Pompey have signed Sunderland's Adil Aouchiche on loan for the season.Pompey have signed Sunderland's Adil Aouchiche on loan for the season.
Pompey have signed Sunderland's Adil Aouchiche on loan for the season. | Portsmouth FC

Following the changes, Pompey’s ESC players are now Hayden Matthews, Jacob Farrell, Abdoulaye Kamara and Aouchiche.

Australian pair Kusini Yengi and Thomas Waddingham are not included as they both have British passports through parentage.

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Cullen added: ‘With the window now shut, we can begin the transition of players who are currently registered as ESC players and give them full GBE status.

‘To get 15 points, you would have 10 as a Championship player and additional points based on national appearances, domestic minutes and whether you have played 50 per cent of games in previous windows.

‘Certainly Nico meets that criteria so we can now transition him over and move Adil into that vacant (ESC) slot.

‘We are also exploring other possibilities for some of our other players. They don’t necessarily have the points with Pompey, but based on domestic minutes in the 12 months at previous foreign clubs.

‘That won’t impact us in this window, but could be helpful for next season. That is one we are going through with the FA at the moment.’

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