How Portsmouth’s ex-Sunderland striker Aiden O’Brien, Lincoln’s John Marquis and Fleetwood’s Ellis Harrison compare following January Fratton Park transfer activity

And the 28-year-old is proving more clinical than his predecessors at their respective League One clubs.

Since O’Brien’s arrival, his performances have seen him emerge as a fans’ favourite, with the former Sunderland striker becoming the latest cult-hero at Fratton Park.

He has found the net in four of his 10 outings, with his most recent being the Blues’ opener in the 1-1 draw at Bolton on Tuesday.

The forward arrived on deadline day and was the last of Danny Cowley’s five January acquisitions, providing the spark to Pompey’s attacking success alongside George Hirst.

O’Brien also averages a goal every 2.5 games – a better return than Marquis (3.2) and Harrison (3.5).

Marquis made the switch to Lincoln until the end of the season, ending an often underwhelming two-and-a-half years on the south coast.

The 29-year-old netted 36 goals in 121 appearances following his £1m arrival from Doncaster in the summer of 2019, but struggled to score over long periods.

The striker subsequently linked-up with former Pompey boss Michael Appleton at Sincil Bank, getting off to the perfect start by scoring three times in his opening three games.

Yet his record has since slowed, with a double against Sheffield Wednesday the only occasion he has appeared on the scoresheet in his last 13 outings.

With five goals in 16 matches overall, Marquis has also faced social media criticism by the Lincoln faithful, while was dropped for the first time last Saturday when the Imps defeated Charlton 2-1.

The ex-Millwall man returned to the starting line-up to face former team-mate Harrison in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Fleetwood.

Like Marquis, the 28-year-old netted on his debut, a match winner which secured all three points against relegation rivals Doncaster in January.

Despite scoring twice in his opening four outings, he endured a barren spell in front of goal, failing to net in seven games before registering twice goals in his last three appearances.

The Welshman has again been affected by injuries, hobbling off in a 3-1 defeat to Sunderland last month, resulting in the striker being sidelined for three matches.

The Blues’ other fresh face in January was Tyler Walker, yet his loan spell has been far from a success, netting just once in 14 outings since his January switch from Coventry.