Sunderland dodged a bullet despite missing out on Portsmouth bound target

John Marquis was a long-term target for Sunderland during their spell in League One, with the club making several bids to land his services.

The striker had been a prolific goalscorer for Doncaster Rovers and was hot property with a host of teams fighting it out to secure one of the league’s top performers.

While many Black Cats supporters were desperate for their club to land Marquis, it was Portsmouth who signed him for an undisclosed fee. While the initial blow would have hurt the Wearsiders, they will be thankful that they dodged a bullet.

John Marquis was the don for Doncaster Rovers

After three years of loan moves, Marquis finally sealed a move away from Millwall in 2016, where he failed to make an impact. League Two side Doncaster Rovers took a punt on the striker, who scored six goals in 15 games while on loan at Northampton Town in the same division.

The forward clearly had a point to prove when he arrived at the Keepmoat Stadium and scored 25 goals during his first season with the club. He finished the season as the second-highest scorer in the league and catapulted Donny to League One, finishing third in the table.

While Marquis did not manage to emulate his numbers in a higher division, he still managed a respectable 15 goals in all competitions and once again finished the season as the club’s top scorer.

During the 2018/19 season, the striker upped his game and totalled 26 goals in all competitions, which included one in the play-offs, as Doncaster were eliminated by Charlton Athletic on penalties.

Portsmouth trumped Sunderland to sign Marquis

Having shown consistency in the third tier, Marquis was a wanted man, with a host of clubs battling it out for his signature. Sunderland had been long-term admirers of the striker and had two bids rejected in the January window.

The Black Cats were in need of a goalscorer, having lost 16-goal talent Josh Maja to Bordeaux in January. Charlie Wyke and Will Grigg only managed 10 goals between them, which seriously hampered their promotion ambitions.

However, it was Portsmouth who got their man on a three-year deal in July 2019. This was a bitter blow to the Black Cats, especially as Pompey were expected to be one of the Wearsiders’ main challengers for promotion.

The £4m signing of Grigg the season before meant Sunderland were never going to pay a premium for Marquis. Furthermore, Marquis would have been keen to make an impact with the South Coast club, who he had a loan with in 2013.

 

Marquis only managed one successful season with Pompey

Many would have expected Marquis’ move to Portsmouth to be seamless, considering he had been a consistent performer in the division for two seasons. However, the striker only managed eight league goals as the club suffered a play-off semi-final and EFL Trophy final defeat.

However, the following season was a different story for the forward as he scored 16 league goals and provided six assists. Despite his efforts, Portsmouth missed out on the play-offs in a season that must be deemed a failure.

In his third season at Fratton Park, the wheels fell off for Marquis and he only managed four goals by mid-January. Ironically, two of those goals came in a brace against Sunderland, who Portsmouth dismantled 4-0 at home.

Having struggled for goals, Pompey were willing to let the striker leave and, in January 2022, Marquis departed for Lincoln City. Having scored three goals in his opening three games for the Imps, the forward only managed two more goals for the rest of the season.

Since his short spell with Lincoln, Marquis has struggled to make a club his home and, following two seasons with Bristol Rovers, he is now plying his trade with struggling Shrewsbury Town.

While Sunderland would have been frustrated not to land Marquis, they would not have wanted to replicate the transfer tragedy of Grigg, who failed to produce on Wearside.

In the end, the Black Cats secured Ross Stewart for a minimal fee, with the Loch Ness Drogba leading the club to the Championship. All things considered, the Black Cats can have no regrets.

 

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