Bolton, Oxford and Wycombe make move for Luton star as Exeter manager makes ‘biggest’ transfer window claim

Portsmouth kicked off the calendar year with a crucial 2-1 victory over promotion rivals Stevenage in front of the Fratton Park faithful. The result puts an end to disappointing Christmas period and keeps John Mousinho’s side at the summit amid pressure from both Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United.

Pompey will hope to maintain this momentum for the remainder of the month as they face the likes of Cheltenham, Leyton Orient, Fleetwood and Port Vale. In the meantime, Portsmouth, along with a host of other League One sides, will be searching for the best transfer deals to bolster their team’s talents in the January window. 

With that in mind we have taken a look at all of the latest transfer stories surrounding League One clubs ahead of a crucial period in the season.

League One trio begin tug of war to sign in-form Luton Town striker

Bolton Wanderers, Oxford United and Wycombe Wanderers have all entered the race to sign Luton Town prodigy Joe Taylor, according to reports from Football Insider.

Taylor is a 21-year-old striker who is currently making waves in the fourth-tier of English football in a loan-spell with Colchester United. The forward has fired in 12 goals and two assists for the U’s and is amongst the top 10 scorers in the division despite playing for a struggling team.

However, Colchester are expected to lose their talisman in January and it is suspected that Luton will recall him from his existing loan deal so that he can once again be sent out to play at a higher level. The Hatters have reportedly received a number of enquiries for the striker by League One clubs with the likes of Bolton, Oxford, Wycombe and Lincoln City all stating their interest.

Taylor will hope to break into the Wales team in the near future after making three appearances for the nations U23 team. So far in his career he has played for the likes of Peterborough United and non-league outfit Wroxham FC. Taylor made just 12 appearances for Peterborough in two seasons as he struggled for first team football, but he did enjoy an incredible loan spell for non-league Wroxham where he scored 20 goals in 11 appearances.

Exeter City manager makes ‘biggest’ transfer window claim

Gary Caldwell is a manager under immense pressure to turn his side’s fortunes around. Exeter City - who were top of the league in September - recently slipped into the relegation places after a 3-2 defeat at Reading. The result amplified pressure on a team that had won just once since mid-September. Caldwell has stated that the team needs ‘further support’ and has sent a rallying message to supporters ahead of the transfer window.

Caldwell told BBC Sport: “What the team needs is support, in terms of numbers, to create competition and quality to increase the overall quality within the squad. Every window since I’ve been at the club we’ve managed to do that. This one is probably the biggest one because of the situation we’re in and the need for numbers, because of the injuries we’ve had all season.”