Portsmouth boss outlines transfer policy, Derby manager on ‘failing’ squad and Reading close to £50m takeover

A break from League One action is about the last thing Portsmouth supporters will want at the moment after a brilliant start to the campaign. The rest will give John Mousinho's men chance to recover following their high-tempo performances ahead of meeting Carlisle next weekend. Here's your League One news round-up.

Pompey boss on clever transfer dealings

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has lifted the lid on how the club managed such a successful summer transfer window, which has helped catapult the side to the top of League One.

The 37-year-old sat down with the official EFL Podcast to talk through his remarkable first 10 months at Fratton Park after a scintillating start to the season that has seen the team go 12 matches unbeaten. That form has been helped in no small part by summer signings including Abu Kamara, Tino Anjorin, Conor Shaughnessy and Will Norris.

Mousinho said: “When I first came in in January, at the end of the transfer window, we knew almost exactly where we’d be in the summer in terms of the outgoings and what positions we needed to fill, so it made the summer a bit more straightforward than normal; it’s the first-ever summer that I’ve had recruiting.

“We brought in 14 players and we knew the profiles of players we wanted to bring in. We thought we had a good mix of players in the building as well – the likes of Marlon (Pack) and Colby (Bishop) who have a huge amount of experience. It gave us a bit of scope to bring in some young players.

“Sometimes, we put sides out that feel young, but we’ve got some players who have played quite a few league games and know what they’re doing at this level. The whole squad are competing and that’s really important for us.”

Derby boss slams ‘failing’ players

Derby County manager Paul Warne has said his squad is 'failing' and that every player must improve to kickstart their season after the international break.

The Rams sit eighth in League One, 10 points adrift of Pompey, and Warne worries his side are some way off their goal of finishing in the play-offs. He told BBC Radio Derby: "Fundamentally, we're failing, we're not in the top six where we need to get. They need to go away and have a think, come back and improve with the standards, all of them.

"If the lads want to achieve something then we have to improve. Everybody has to be spot if we're going to be successful in all aspects of their game."

The manager went on to bemoan 'wasted' chances and hoped that 'a bit of rest' and 'a bit of honesty' would remedy the current situation.

Takeover breakthrough for Reading

There could be hope on the horizon for financially-ridden Reading with former Formula 1 team backer William Storey poised for a £50 million takeover.

The Royals have been blighted by points deductions as owner Dai Yongge struggles to fix financial issues, breaching the EFL's profitability and sustainability rules. The Telegraph reports that Storey has 'broadly' agreed terms of a takeover with Yongee and will buy the club outright, so long as the EFL approve the deal. The British businessman has previously been linked with takeovers at Coventry and Sunderland.

It is hoped the process of passing the Football League's checks could be completed in six weeks as Storey 'promised privately' to invest in the struggling squad. Reading sit third from bottom in League One after a tricky start to the season under new manager Rubel Selles, but have enjoyed convincing recent victories in the EFL Trophy.