Pompey rivals see key man turn down seven-figure move to Championship, Reading dealt big transfer snub

Portsmouth have kicked themselves off to a strong start to the 2023/24 League One campaign, having banked four points from a possible six so far. After drawing 1-1 to Bristol Rovers in their opening game, Pompey enjoyed a rampant 4-0 win over Leyton Orient on the road last weekend.

New signing Kusini Yengi scored his second goal in as many games on Saturday, joining Marlon Pack and Colby Bishop on the scoresheet at Brisbane Road. The Australian striker is certainly proving to be a smart piece of business, and there is still times for the Blues to add to their squad as well.

But of course, Portmouths’ rivals are also looking to strengthen where they can as they dive into another thrilling season in League One. Let’s take a look at some of the latest transfer updates.

Bolton star turns down move to Championship

Bolton Wanderers star George Thomason has rejected a move to Bristol City after the clubs agreed a seven-figure transfer fee for him. As per The Bolton News, Ian Evatt has confirmed the midfielder has ‘no desire’ to leave the club, despite the Championship outfit offering him a lucrative contract and a £1 million bid for the club.

“We have had lots of conversations over the weekend and George has never once expressed a desire to leave this club,” Evatt said. “He loves being here, we love him here. He is a young player with a huge amount of talent with a huge amount of progression left in him too, so after many heart-to-heart chats with him over the weekend I can say he has no desire to leave.”

Reading dealt striker snub

According to an update from Darren Witcoop, it looks likely that Reading are going to miss out on signing summer target Jay Stansfield as he looks set to remain with Premier League outfit Fulham.

The Royals are not off to the best start in League One following their relegation, recording two losses from two so far. They are on the market for temporary reinforcements and had outlined Stansfield as a key option. However, after impressing manager Marco Silva during pre-season, the forward is set to remain at Craven Cottage and fight for a regular place in the team. That means it’s back to the drawing board for Reading as they hope to build momentum following their sticky start.