Ambitious Mansfield enter hunt for ex-Millwall and Doncaster striker John Marquis as Portsmouth seek January exit

The striker has no future at Fratton Park and will be released when his three-year contract expires in the summer.

Marquis is one of Pompey’s top earners, with the club keen to offload him this month in order to create the finances to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.

The News understands Mansfield have now declared an interest in the 29-year-old, who has netted just four times this season.

The League Two club are presently ninth in the table and desperately require a goalscorer to drive their promotion ambition, having registered just 27 goals in 20 games.

Marquis fits the ball – although financially it remains a tough ask.

Privately, Pompey have made it known in footballing circles that their former £1m recruit from Doncaster is available, indicating they are open to offers.

It is understood interest in Marquis has not been strong in comparison to fellow out-of-favour pair Paul Downing and Ellis Harrison, who are also up for grabs this month.

As ever, meeting his current level of wages remains a stumbling block, while the player himself is settled on the south coast since arriving at Fratton Park in the summer of 2019.

For Marquis, there is also the attraction of waiting until the summer to become a free agent, thereby attracting more interest and allowing the striker a greater choice of destination.

Still, Mansfield, who have Marquis’ former Pompey team-mate Oli Hawkins on their books, have ambitions of recruiting the ex-Millwall man and clearly a degree of financial power in order to consider such a signing.

Regardless, Cowley is desperate to find a taker so he can pursue his own transfer targets in January, primarily a striker and central defender.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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