Ghana star Muntari's move this week was a club record sale at around £12.7million and it was generally assumed Redknapp would receive the bulk of the cash - minus a percentage due to the player's previous club Udinese in a sell-on clause - to complete his summer recruiting.

Redknapp believes he is still short of a central defender, a left-sided player and a right winger, with Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips still at the top of his wish-list.

But he has not yet had the go-ahead from Pompey owner Alexander Gaydamak to pursue them.

He said: "The idea when I sold Sulley was there would be money for two or three (new) players. Now we'll have to wait and see if that happens.

"I've lost Sulley and that has weakened the team. I might have to look at cheaper options if it (the money) isn't there."

Training now in Cape Town until Friday after Pompey's ill-fated weekend trip to Nigeria, where rioting fans clashed before Pompey's game against Manchester United, Redknapp told the Portsmouth News: "We are definitely short at the moment, desperately short. We need another centre-half and we need wide players in midfield.

"We need a left-back. We are short there and there is no cover on that side. At present, I don't think we have a squad who are going to challenge next season."

Despite the FA Cup winners' manager apparently not knowing what budget he is dealing with, he praised Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie for his tireless efforts in lining up deals following the signings of £11million striker Peter Crouch from Liverpool, Ben Sahar on loan from Chelsea and free transfer Glen Little from Reading.

But now new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has appeared to cut off Redknapp's bid to sign out-of-favour England winger Wright-Phillips by telling him he is still wanted at Stamford Bridge.

And Redknapp fears Aston Villa could hijack Pompey's attempts to sign centre-half Younes Kaboul from Tottenham and left-back Nicky Shorey from Reading.

He also admits: "We will definitely need to shift one or two as well because we need to pay good money to sign players.

"Peter Storrie has worked miracles to try to bring players in. He has worked his socks off."