Morecambe’s Cole Stockton has been linked with a move to Portsmouth this summer.

According to Football Insider, Pompey are looking to bring the 22-goal striker to Fratton Park for next season, but face competition from Preston North End. 

The 28-year old has been with Morecambe since 2019, where he has scored 40 league goals from 110 appearances. 

Stockton helped The Shrimps earn promotion to League One last season, with the side now 20th in the division.

Is it a good potential move?

Portsmouth are currently 11th in the table, some 13 points off the play-offs with six games left this season.

Danny Cowley’s side have really struggled for goals all campaign, having only scored 54 from 40 games.

Only 10 sides have scored fewer goals in League One, and they have the lowest tally of anyone in the top half of the table.

That has really been the team’s shortfall given the team has the sixth best defensive record of the 24 teams in the league. 

Having a good goal-getter like Stockton would be a huge boost to the side and could even bring them up a level as Cowley’s side look to challenge for a play-off place next season. 

Would he start?

Portsmouth have opted for a three-man attack this season, with Marcus Harness playing behind a front two, usually of George Hirst and Tyler Walker.

But that attack has a tally of 16 goals together, six fewer than that of Stockton alone.

It is easy to see how the Morecambe forward would walk straight into Cowley’s starting side, particularly as a replacement for John Marquis who left for Lincoln City last January. 

Walker has stepped in since the departure of Marquis, but Stockton would be a far better option up front.

Also, with Hirst only on loan from Leicester City, there is no guarantee that the 23-year old will be will the club again to partner with Stockton next campaign. 

What does he offer?

Quite simply, Stockton offers goals to the team.

At its most basic level, sides chasing promotion need a striker capable of bagging 20-goals a season and the former Tranmere Rovers forward has proven he can deliver that.

Considering Morecambe are competing against relegation, it’s easy to imagine how much more successful Stockton could be in a side competing for promotion with an attack built around feeding him opportunities. 

The forward has shown that he can make the step up in level quite well having had his most prolific campaign of his career in his first season in League One since he was 19-years old and still breaking into senior football.