By Gary Spate
June 16 2003

CHARLTON Athletic have agreed a fee with Ipswich Town for Matt Holland literally hours after the Republic of Ireland midfielder rejected a move to Portsmouth. Ipswich Town today issued the following statement: "Ipswich Town FC acknowledged on Friday that the proposed transfer of Matt Holland to Portsmouth appeared to be in serious jeopardy as a result of a breakdown in negotiations over the player's personal terms.

"However, subsequent to this, the club can now confirm that it has reached an agreement of similar terms (750,000) with Charlton Athletic and that Matt and his advisors have been given permission to speak to them."
The Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie admitted that their interest in the Ipswich Town club captain has cooled for the time being.

"I have now spoken with Matt's advisors and from every way we look at it the terms are too expensive," Storrie told Portsmouth's official website.

"We always said it was the case that until we talked terms it was far from being a done deal.

"Now we have talked those terms, we are in a position to say that we won't be taking the matter any further ourselves at this moment."