Tony Adams faces the two biggest tests of his brief spell as manager of Portsmouth in the coming weeks after the sale of Jermain Defoe to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday. First he must argue for as big a share of the proceeds as possible to spend this month. And then he must spend it wisely.

Portsmouth are for sale and to remain attractive to potential buyers they must stay in the Barclays Premier League. The team have only three points more than Stoke City, who are eighteenth, and the need to reduce a hefty wage bill and large debts will be balanced against the requirement to ensure that they are not dragged farther into the relegation picture. Results have become progressively disappointing since Adams took over from Harry Redknapp in October, and being allowed to reinvest will count as a significant vote of confidence.

Before yesterday's business was completed, Adams said: “We are not looking at big deals.” Now the situation has changed.

He already needed a holding midfield player to protect a defence that has shipped 15 goals in the past seven league games, giving Portsmouth the worst goal difference outside the bottom four. But now he must also attempt to replace a player who scored 15 goals for the club in 29 league starts. And goalscorers do not come cheap.

Adams is close to agreeing new contracts with Glen Johnson, Sean Davis and Richard Hughes, but replacing Lassana Diarra, who has signed for Real Madrid, and Defoe will be regarded as a priority by the supporters, and will become more urgent if, as was rumoured on the South Coast yesterday, Arsenal are preparing a bid for Niko Kranjcar, the Croatia midfield player.