Portsmouth FC came up trumps to make £14.5m profit from big Liverpool transfer deal: View | OneFootball

The former England right-back was a Fratton Park great, and his transfer to Liverpool may just have kept the club alive.

Portsmouth FC’s financial struggles in the late 2000s are well-documented, but there was one tremendously timed transfer that stopped a bad situation from getting worse.

When the club didn't seem to have two pennies to rub together, the 2009 sale of Glen Johnson to Liverpool helped Portsmouth rake in a staggering £14.5 million profit. This transfer remains the highest transfer fee received in the club’s history, providing a crucial cash injection during challenging times.

Glen Johnson was sensational for Portsmouth

Glen Johnson initially joined Pompey on loan from Chelsea during the 2006-07 season. The club finished ninth in the Premier League, their first top-half placing in the rebranded top-flight. His contribution at Fratton Park convinced manager Harry Redknapp to make the deal permanent, and the club secured his services for a reported fee of £4 million in 2007.

With five caps for England in the years prior to his arrival, Johnson's reputation was that of an extremely talented but somewhat inconsistent full-back who had failed to truly announce himself at Stamford Bridge.

Portsmouth, however, gave Johnson the platform he needed to fulfill his potential. His pace, technical ability, and attacking instincts made him a key player for the Hampshire club, and he soon became one of the best modern attacking full-backs in the Premier League.

His exhausting ability to get forward and contribute to forward play while also being solid defensively made him an overwhelming fan favourite.

Johnson's time on the south-coast perfectly coincided with the greatest period in the club's post-war history, including an historic FA Cup triumph in 2008.

Johnson’s stock rose astronomically at Portsmouth, as his club form allowed him to become the natural successor to Gary Neville in Fabio Capello's England side.

Johnson’s form at Pompey also caught the attention of several top Premier League clubs, with Liverpool leading the chase for his signature.

As Portsmouth began to face mounting financial difficulties, the sale of Johnson became inevitable, and Liverpool eventually swooped in with an unignorable offer.

A deal that helped Pompey survive

In the summer of 2009, Liverpool wasted no time in completing the signing of Glen Johnson for a reported £18.5 million. For Portsmouth, this was an extraordinary deal, as it represented a £14.5 million profit on a player they had signed for just £4 million two years prior.

The transfer fee was a reflection of Johnson’s status as one of the Premier League’s best right-backs of his generation, and Liverpool were willing to pay a premium to secure his services.

For Portsmouth, the deal came at an absolutely crucial time. The club's finances were in a catastrophic state, and the much-needed funds softened the blow, at least temporarily.

While the transfer could not prevent Portsmouth’s administration, which indirectly led to a triple relegation, it doesn't bare thinking how bad things would have been without the incomings of his transfer.

Glen Johnson's legacy at Fratton Park

Johnson's transfer stands out as Portsmouth’s shrewdest. The £14.5 million profit was a priceless windfall for the club. Johnson’s Pompey tenure was a textbook example of 'the perfect signing', making history on the pitch and plenty of money off of it.

Portsmouth, now finally back in the second-tier, may never recreate the heights of the late noughties, but fans will simply be thankful that their club is still in operation, which at one time didn't look to be a likelihood.

It's difficult to quantify exactly what the money did for Portsmouth, but what can be said for certainty is that Glen Johnson remains one of the most successful players to have passed through Fratton Park.