Last season, everything seemed to be going well for Matt Godden. He earned a move to League One Peterborough after impressing at Stevenage.

He started the season well; he was amongst the goals and earning good reviews from the supporters. It seemed he could be the next big name off the Posh production line, following in the footsteps of Dwight Gayle, Britt Assombalonga and Jack Marriott.

Having spent much of his career in the non-league scene, it took a punt by Stevenage to bring him to the EFL. That paid off as he bagged 35 goals in 86 matches, giving then-Posh boss Steve Evans a reason to sign him.

Godden is an old-fashioned centre-forward, industrious and able to handle the physical side of the game. He dropped into the side at London Road with ease and bagged 14 goals before Christmas.

2018 might have given him lots of encouragement, but 2019 hasn’t been kind to the 27-year-old thus far. Darren Ferguson took over from Evans and although Godden got game time, the goals dried up.

He added just four after the turn of the year, two of those in one match against Wycombe. He wasn’t ineffective, but that early season vibrancy had gone from his game.

The summer has been even crueller. Whilst he entered the difficult pre-season, his replacement has already been lined up. Posh unveiled Mo Eisa to much fanfare, but with every door opening, one closes and it seems as though Godden’s has perhaps closed.

Peterborough then confirmed they’d had a bid from Portsmouth for Godden, seemingly rubber-stamping his availability at the right price.

It’s tough on the former Scunthorpe man and he has every right to feel aggrieved. His early-season form was sensational and whilst he struggled after Christmas, there had been plenty of hints that he’s a competent League One striker.

However, Eisa is a big name and he’s a big statement and Godden is not. Simply keeping a striker at the club does not sell season tickets, it does not give fans something fresh to cling to.

Despite a good season, Matt Godden is seemingly surplus to requirements at Peterborough, but he should take solace in the fact it’s a big club coming in for him. Posh might like to use strikers to turn a quick profit, but in this instance, Godden may have used them to secure a good move to a bigger club.