Portsmouth rivals face major blow in reported pursuit of Aston Villa man as Wrexham target secures surprise move
The latest headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.
The second international break of the season is well underway, with a host of John Mousinho’s squad away on national team duty.
Among those are Makenzie Kirk, who netted for Northern Ireland under 21’s on Thursday evening, while the likes of Minhyeok Yang, Terry Devlin and Hayden Matthews have all flown out to their respective camps.
It’s been a mixed start to the campaign on the south coast, with Pompey currently sat 14th in the standings after the opening nine matches.
But preparations for the Blues’ trip to Leicester City continue at the club’s Hilsea training base, with eight days to go until the trip to the King Power Stadium.
Away from Fratton Park, there are plenty of headlines doing the rounds across the Championship.
Here’s the latest from around the second tier.
Birmingham’s Buendia blow
Birmingham City are set for a major blow in their reported pursuit of Aston Villa playmaker Emi Buendia.
Football Insider have claimed the in-form forward is set to earn a new contract at Villa Park after an outstanding start to the campaign.
The Blues were linked with the Argentine during the summer window, and had been back to launch a new pursuit in January.
However, after netting key goals against Fulham in the Premier League and Feyenoord in the Champions League as well as a number of impressive displays, Unai Emery appears to be keen to tie Buendia down to a new deal.
Pompey face Birmingham City at the start of November for the first meeting between the two sides since 2019.
Wrexham miss out
Former Derby County midfielder Tom Lawrence has found a new home following his release from Rangers.
The 30-year-old departed Ibrox at the end of last season and was without a club for the entirety of pre-season as he went in search of a fresh start.
Indeed, there was Championship interest in the Welsh international as clubs looked to snap up his services.
However, a move to north Wales never materialised for Lawrence, with the Red Dragons going on to add the likes of Lewis O’Brien and George Thomason to the midfield.
Now, the ex-Rangers man has secured a new home as he takes his career to the other side of the world.
The playmaker has sealed a switch to A-League outfit Perth Glory, where he’s penned a one-year deal after recent injury struggles.
Last term, Lawrence netted six goals in 28 appearances in all competitions at Ibrox.