Portsmouth's weekend opponents sign 'fantastic' player as rivals set to lose key star

Portsmouth remain top of League One after Derby County's defeat to struggling Reading on Tuesday night. John Mousinho's men have only won one of their last three games, facing Port Vale this weekend with the hope of protecting top spot.

Pompey are going to need to remain consistent to secure automatic promotion, and they need to get back to the form they showed in the first half of the season. In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding Portsmouth and their League One rivals.

Port Vale boss on loan capture

Port Vale boss Andy Crosby has been speaking about the arrival of Manchester United youngster Dan Gore on loan ahead of this weekend's clash with Portsmouth. He said: “Dan is a player that owns fantastic technical ability and the required competitiveness to his game to come in and immediately bolster the competition and options within our midfield.

“As well as his obvious qualities on the pitch, Dan possesses all of the non-negotiable personal qualities that are required to be a member of the squad here at Port Vale. He has a real desire to make the most of his opportunity here and to learn from the experienced players within our squad to push himself beyond his limits to become the very best version of himself.”

Barnsley to lose key star

Sunderland are said to be considering a deal to land Barnsley star Callum Styles this month. The playmaker reportedly missed Barnsley's last game due to being close to a move away.

Styles could be on his way up to the Championship, according to the Barnsley Chronicle, who say the Tykes are in talks with another club over a deal. Sunderland are that club, according to reports, and it will be a big blow for Barnsley this late in the window.