Out of favour and among the goals: The varying fortunes of strikers linked with Portsmouth at likes of Millwall, Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic

Danny Cowley made it clear he wanted attacking reinforcements for the campaign, but a deal for a front man never materialised.

So what happened to those options linked with arriving at Fratton Park? And is there any chance of a deal being resurrected in January?

We take a look at what's unflolded with some of those rumoured targets this term.

Jayden Stockley

One of Pompey’s main summer targets, Danny Cowley thought he had the striker’s signature in the bag before he opted for a move to Charlton.

Much like his team. Stockey struggled for form early on returning two goals from his first 11 outings, as the Addicks found themselves near the foot of the table.

His return has picked up massively in recent weeks, however, with the 28-year-old now on a run of eight goals in as many games as his side’s fortunes pick up under new boss Johnnie Jackson.

Stockley has showcased his ability to score all kinds of goals in that recent run, with his aerial prowess, predatory skills and sharp right-footed finishing all coming to the fore.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson

Icelandic striker was mentioned as a possible option to bolster Pompey with a physical presence up front.

The 6ft 2in front man made regular appearances for Millwall in the Championship last term, albeit returning just a single goal.

Bodvarsson has found himself firmly in the cold this time around, however, making just a single appearance off the bench in a 3-1 win over Cambridge back in August.

The former Reading man has earned praise from boss Gary Rowett for his professionalism, but with his contract up in the summer his days at The Den look numbered.

Millwall clearly will be prepared to listen to any offers for the 29-year-old in January.

Joe Pigott

The in-demand AFC Wimbledon striker was in Pompey’s sights this summer, along with the likes of Championship outfits like Bristol City and Luton Town.

But Pigott opted to make big-spending Ipswich Town his destination after 22 goals for the Dons side who fought against relegation last term.

It’s not been a move which has panned out as expected for Pigott, however.

The 27-year-old has been restricted to just four league starts under Paul Cook and 10 appearances in total - returning three goals.

With Ipswich possessing such an embarrassment of attacking riches it’s been Macauley Bonne who’s made the starting place his own, with Sone Aluko and Conor Chaplin also scoring when given the opportunity.

That this week prompted Cook to issue an apology to Pigott over his lack of minutes.

Conor Chaplin

Danny Cowley was keen on bringing Chaplin back, with his name surfacing at more than one stage.

It would have been a huge coup to bring huge fans’ favourite home from Barnsley, but in the end it was Ipswich who again opened their wallet to make the deal a reality.

Chaplin said when moving to Portman Road, a move to play for Paul Cook was the only factor which could’ve convinced him to step down a division.

It’s not been plain sailing for the front man, with injuries hampering his progress at the start of the campaign.

It’s been a different story since late September, however, with the 24-year-old on a run of five goals in seven - including, of course, a finish at Fratton Park.

Guy Melamed

The powerful Israeli had a decent season in the SPL as St Johnstone punched above their weight to finish fifth.

The 28-year-old helped himself to seven goals after making his debut in Novembe,r and was mentioned as a possible option for Pompey this summer.

The talk was never substantiated but with Melamed a player with a deft touch who possesses the ability to score different goals, you could see why he was mentioned.

In the end, however, he opted to return to his homeland as a deal with Bnei Sakhin was agreed.

The 5ft 10in front man has returned two goals across eight appearances this term, averaging just over an hour of game time per match. Bnei Sakhin sit sixth in the Israeli Premier League after nine games.

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