Portsmouth To Cancel Kanu’s Contract

Cash-strapped English Championship side Portmouth FC’s administrators are investigating whether they may have grounds to cancel former Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu’s contract after revealing he is in Nigeria.
Administrator Trevor Birch may call in the PFA over the striker’s absence, which has raised hopes the Cup final goal hero may have shot himself in the foot by failing to report for the start of pre-season training.
Kanu is one of a number of senior players Pompey simply have to move on if they’re to be in decent financial shape for a takeover.
Birch told The News: ‘Kanu is back in Nigeria, that is the understanding from his legal adviser, who I have been speaking to. I don’t actually know why he hasn’t come back. You will have to phone him and ask him.
‘What I do know, though, is we have not reached a compromise and he was due back on Monday along with the rest of the contracted players. Then he just didn’t turn up. I was down at the training ground both Monday and yesterday and Michael (Appleton) is very angry, which is understandable. Kanu must turn up for training, so this is a breach of contract. Whether it is sufficient enough to terminate his contract I don’t know at this stage, we will have to wait and see. He will have to be disciplined, though. What we intend to do is an internal matter. I cannot talk about that. However, if it is a continued absence we will have to bring in the PFA.’
Other players appear close to moves – Lue Varney to Leeds and David Norris to Sheffield Wednesday remain possibilities – but others do not appear to be attracting any interest.