Portsmouth's rivals make performance admission as Bolton face EFL transfer battle

In just two days time, Portsmotuh could see themselves secure automatic promotion to the Championship. However, they will be taking on a side in Bolton Wanderers also desperately seeking a win as they too look to achieve promotion back into the EFL’s second-tiered competition.

The Blues will face Bolton at the Toughsheet Community stadium and while a win for John Mousinho’s side sees them tie down their triumph as League One victors, if Bolton win all their remaining games, they will overtake Derby County in the race for second place.

Ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, here is the latest news from Pompey’s League One rivals...

Pompey rivals makes performance admission

Derby County drew 0-0 with Wycombe Wanderers in last night’s League One action, putting them only two points ahead of fellow automatic-promotion hopefuls Bolton. This result means if Bolton win all their remaining fixtures - a tough ask given they will take on Pompey and fourth-place Peterborough - the Toughsheet Community Stadium side will enjoy automatic promotion leaving the Rams to battle in the promotion play-offs.

Derby County were not without their chances in last night’s draw with both Corey Blackett-Taylor and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing squandering opportunities. Speaking after the match, head coach Paul Warned admitted his players were not on form as they handed Bolton a huge advantage.

“So some of our players weren't really on song”, Warned confessed, “but they were trying to make things happen And weirdly, the harder you try sometimes, the worse you get. We didn't look as fluid in the second half.

"I thought in the first half when we passed it, we looked all right and created really good chances. Fundamentally we had two great chances, and you have to take one of them and the longer the game goes on, the more you chase it and the more open you become. We were lucky in the end not to have lost it, so it might end up being a really good point."

Bolton face EFL transfer battle

Bolton Wanderers, Rotherham United and Oxford United are all interested in securing the services of Southend United striker Harry Caldwell, reports Football Insider via the 72. Caldwell, 27, has scored 17 goals across all competitions this 2023/24 season and as such has attracted huge amounts of attention from the EFL Leagues with Exeter City and Gillingham two more clubs said to be keeping an eye on the striker.

The striker is said to have a ‘buy-out’ clause in his current contract which is currently set to expire in 2026. He has been with the Shrimpers since 2022 having come up the ranks with Hull City and Reading, playing twice for the latter’s first-team.

As they eye promotion to the Championship, Ian Evatt will be looking to add more competition and depth to his squad and with both Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Cameron Jerome both out of contract in June, Bolton will undoubtedly be seeking for reinforcements up top in the next transfer window.