Conor Chaplin has recently been the subject of a £700,000 bid from Barnsley, but it's not a transfer likely to fill their fans with excitement.

The 22-year-old left Portsmouth last season looking for regular first team football with Coventry City. He didn't set the world on fire at the Ricoh, but he did get amongst the goals every so often.

The question has to be asked though; did his move to Coventry work out for him last season? Or has he struggled to live up to the excitement he generated when he first broke through at Portsmouth? We subject him to our latest spotlight piece to find out.

Whilst Chaplin played 31 times for the Sky Blues last season, it's worth noting he averaged just 67 minutes per game; that consisted of 22 starts and nine further outings from the bench. He only started four matches after making his move permanent in January and missed a good chunk of the latter part of the season.

An ankle injury didn't help him, he missed seven weeks and that could account for what are underwhelming numbers under our spotlight.

In his 31 matches he scored eight times, giving him an average of a goal every four matches, give or take a game. It's not the prolific record that Barnsley fans would be hoping to see, but compared to his Pompey record of five goals in 32 the season prior, it's an improvement.

His shots on target ratio is good though, 37.5% is a better average than some established strikers. Perhaps coming from deeper he didn't get as many chances, but there is a suggestion if he were the main striker on more occasions, he might get a few more goals to add to his tally.

He certainly isn't the sort of player you can pump the ball long to. He's 5ft 6in tall and only won 17.2% of his aerial duels. It's not a surprise the number is so low, but when you consider Pompey's approach with a lone striker ahead of a three, it's easier to see why he might not have fitted in. He couldn't play the top role as that's needed as an out ball when the pressure is on, which is why bigger, stronger lads like Ollie Hawkins and Brett Pitman nudged him out of the side.

Coventry also played a 4-2-3-1 formation meaning he was again consigned to the role behind the striker, which would limit his chances at goal. Barnsley often play the same as well, although they occasionally go to a 4-4-2. Chaplin's stats and demeanour would surely suit a two-man attack, playing off a bigger man but in an advanced role.

He did get on the ball in the box 3.84 times per game but again, as a more advanced striker, he would see that number go up. The more touches he gets, the more chance he has of scoring, especially with his shots on goal percentage.

Finally, he assisted 1.22 shots per game. That is the final nail in the coffin for me; he's not utilised best in that deep-lying role. Conor Chaplin is a striker who would be much better suited to a two-man attack, not coming from what is effectively an attacking midfield position.

Until he gets a run of games in a suitable formation, his goals to games ratio is simply not going to improve, but the potential is there. He certainly hasn't got worse since his move from Pompey, he just isn't being used in the best way.