**Premier League crisis club Portsmouth have been taken over by their fourth different owner of the season.**Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai is understood to have bought 90% of the club’s shares from previous owner Ali Al Faraj.
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar said: “He is understood not to be interested in a long-term ownership, just averting the current crisis.”
Pompey are expected to make an official announcement later on Thursday.
Farquhar added on BBC Radio 5 live: "Chainrai says he has invoked a clause in a loan contract he struck with the club’s third owner this year, Ali Al Faraj, giving him the right to take over 90% of the shares should they default on repayments to him.
"He recently loaned the club £15m to £20m to help get them through their current financial crisis, which still isn’t resolved and now the loans have not been repaid we understand he’s saying he’s the new owner of the club on that basis.
"The thing is, for people like Chainrai and former owner Sacha Gaydamak that the money they have put into the club would be lost if Portsmouth went into liquidation.
“That’s the real risk for them, so they need to keep the club afloat by doing whatever they can.”
Meanwhile, Pompey manager Avram Grant said he will continue to try to save the Premier League strugglers but remains non-committal about his long-term future.
The cash-strapped club remain rooted to the bottom of the table after a 1-0 defeat by Fulham on Wednesday.
Key players Asmir Begovic and Younes Kaboul were sold against Grant’s wishes in January and the club face a winding up on 10 February for unpaid taxes.
But Grant stated: “As long as I am here, I will keep fighting.”
** pompeychick86 **
Portsmouth have been late paying wages four times this season because of debts of £60m and the players’ wages for January were finally paid on Wednesday.
But, for the moment, Grant is committed to trying to keep Portsmouth in the top flight, with a trip to Manchester United the next challenge on Saturday.
“I think that we need to do our best all the time and as long as we have a chance, we have to fight,” he added.
“It’s a very interesting time because it’s very hard times off the pitch but what I see on the pitch I’m very proud of the players. I think if everything was a little bit more calm the results would be even better.”
Pompey and England goalkeeper David James told BBC Radio 5 live of the “frustration” felt by the players at the situation.
“You try and tell the lads that you do get paid even if it’s a week late, 10 days or whatever - we are getting paid one way or the other,” said James.
"We’re not sure if we’ve got anyone else to sell to get paid.
“The fact is we do get paid and there are other clubs with players who aren’t getting paid and historically there have been other clubs that players haven’t got paid, so it could be worse.”