Striker agrees new deal with League One strugglers as ex-Man City star gets tipped for vacant Port Vale job

League One leaders Portsmouth face a challenging end to the season with the likes of Joe Morrell, Terry Devlin and Tom Mcintyre all sustaining injuries which will keep them out for the remainder of the campaign.

John Mousinho's side sit four points clear of Derby County, although the Rams have a game in hand, while they also face further competition from the chasing pack of Bolton Wanderers, Peterborough and Barnsley. They will hope to maintain their consistency amid an avalanche of injuries as they prepare to face a series of sides in a relegation fight in February such as Carlisle, Cambridge, Reading and Charlton Athletic.

Ahead of this weekend’s trip to Brunton Park, we round up all of the latest headlines from League One.

Charlton starlet extends contract until 2027 as Nathan Jones targets improvement

New Charlton boss Nathan Jones is determined to change the tide at the Valley after replacing Michael Appleton in the dugout. The Welshman has been out of work since his spell at Southampton in February which ended after just 95 days in charge.

Jones has signed a long-term contract with Charlton as he aims to push the club up the table. He has already began making plans for the future of the club and has extended the contract of academy graduate Daniel Kanu until 2027.

The 19-year-old has hit four goals in 20 appearances this season in his breakout campaign and has also been rewarded with his debut for the Sierra Leone national team. Kanu told the club website: “It’s a dream come true and I’m really excited for the future. I’ve been at this club since under-11s so it’s been a really long journey.

“I signed my first professional contract two years ago - around this time actually - and I’m just grateful to the academy and everyone else that’s been a part of my journey to get me to where I am today.”

Former Liverpool and Manchester City man made favourite for the Port Vale job

Former Manchester City, Liverpool and Cardiff City footballer Mark Kennedy has emerged as the bookmakers favourite to succeed Andy Crosby in the Port Vale dugout. Port Vale sacked Crosby earlier this week after a run of just one win in eight matches including a devastating 3-0 loss to fellow strugglers Port Vale. Academy coaches Will Ryder, Matt Done and Danny Lloyd are currently in interim charge of the first team.

The Vale hierarchy will hope to appoint a permanent manager soon as the club bid to steer the team to safety and it appears that Kennedy is on the club’s radar. The 47-year-old has been out of work since October 2023 when he was relieved of his position as Lincoln City boss. 

He led the Imps to an 11th place finish in his first season, but was ultimately dismissed after a poor start to this campaign. Port Vale are in the relegation places with 30 points from 28 games. However, they still have two games in hand to try and leapfrog a rejuvenated Reading team.