Portsmouth chief explains sale of Callum Lang to Preston North End

Portsmouth chief executive officer Andy Cullen has defended the sale of forward Callum Lang to Championship rivals Preston North End and described the deal as ‘good business’.

The former Wigan Athletic has become a firm favourite at Fratton Park after scoring 16 goals and providing three assists in 53 appearances during a two-year stay with Pompey. After helping John Mousinho’s side to the League One title within five months of his arrival, Lang was part of the squad that fought a successful battle against relegation during their first season back in the Championship and his form has ensured speculation over a move has never been far from the headlines in recent months.

Preston forced their way to the front of the queue to land Lang and their persistence finally paid off in the final hours of the January transfer window after they agreed a club record deal for the talented winger. The 27-year-old has penned a three-and-a-half year deal at Deepdale and there is an option to extend that agreement by another 12 months.

Lang actually make his debut against his old club when North End host Portsmouth this weekend and Pompey’s CEO has moved to clear up any concerns over the deal by confirming the versatile forward wished to move north due to ‘family reasons’.

‘The player made it quite clear’

Cullen told The News: ‘It represents good business for the football club. Although there was a huge reluctance from the club - and particularly the owners - to sell Callum. The owners gave us an increased budget to invest and spend on players and there are a number of factors which came into Callum’s departure. First and foremost, the player had made it quite clear he wanted to move back up north for family reasons. Yet he’s a player under contract.

“Obviously players will have personal reasons from time to time, they will have the interest in them which may well determine they want to move. They are still players under contract to us and, until we get an offer which we are prepared to accept and makes good business overall for Portsmouth Football Club, then we’re not going to do it. Initial advances for Callum were firmly rejected and they (Preston) were told the player was not for sale. That sort of rumbled on for quite a few days, but we were very, very firm with our stance and approach.

‘Very reluctant’

“Then Preston came back late in the day with a much-improved proposition. We looked at it as a team - me, Rich and John - and we felt that was a good outcome for the football club. We took into account Callum’s availability, he has been unavailable for 38 per cent of the games through injury. He’s not really been available to us this season. Is Callum a player who can really impact us in the second half of the season? Callum Lang definitely does, but we take all things into account - and we felt it was right.

“This was not enforced, the owners were very, very reluctant, but, in the end, we discussed it between the three of us and we felt it was a move which probably represented good business for the football club and we didn't have a problem with it.”

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