
The Imps have landed prolific forward John Marquis on a six-month deal from Portsmouth.
The 29-year-old has a proven record at this level with Doncaster Rovers and Portsmouth, scoring 103 goals over the last five-and-a-half seasons. He will remain with the Imps until the end of the season, but is NOT here on loan; he has joined on a short term deal, which is important in terms of our current loan quota.
Marquis was heavily rumoured to be joining the club yesterday and was inadvertently revealed by the media department at midnight last night with a YouTube video that was hastily taken down.
“I want to score goals and help the team as much as I can,” he said. “When chances are created, I want to get on the end of them, which is the best way I can help the team. It’s an opportunity to get in the areas where I do my best work, which is in and around the box, and get myself and the team some goals.
“I’m a centre forward that first and foremost works hard for the team, I want to help where I can with my energy and aggression at the top end of the pitch. I’ve also got some good experience to pass on to help the younger players who are already here, but I can also learn from them as well.”
Imps boss Michael Appleton was enthusiastic about Marquis when we played Portsmouth before, and with good reason; the striker has scored four goals in our five meetings over the last couple of years. At least he won’t be scoring against us at Fratton Park later in the season!

“John is a proven goalscorer who adds experience to the squad and provides something we’ve missed while Tom Hopper has been out injured,” added the gaffer. “It gives us more options in a key position, that we’ve lacked all season, allowing us the opportunity to play two up front and he will really help Liam Cullen by shouldering some of the responsibility for leading the line.
“It will also ensure that we do not need to rush Tom Hopper back from the serious injury that has kept him out of action since early September.”
Marquis will wear the number 27 shirt and goes straight into the Imps’ squad against Rotherham subject to confirmation from the EFL.
There little doubt that the rumoured big-name striker we were going to capture over the course of the last couple of weeks is now in the building; Tyler Walker has been heavily rumoured (and he’s now seemingly joining Pompey), but he would be a loan move, not permanent, and that would us perilously close to the loan limited. Instead, we’ve brought in a player who cost Pompey between £1 and £2m (reports vary) just three years ago.
You’ve all been asking for a player who gets on the end of chances, well, here he is. There’s more to come this window, but on paper at least, we’re not having a bad one.
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