POSH SURE JACK IS COMING HOME

Posh were on the verge of securing the dramatic return of striker Jack Marriott to the Weston Homes Stadium last night (Wednesday).

At the time of the PT going to press only a legal issue between the player and his current club Derby County was holding up the transfer.

Posh have agreed terms on a three-year contract with the 26 year-old who is keen to come back to the scene of his greatest season as a professional footballer.

Marriott scored 33 goals in all competitions for Posh in the 2017-18 League One season, form that earned him a £4 million move to Pride Park a year after he’d moved from Luton Town for what turned out to be a bargain £400k.

Marriott signed a 12-month extension to his Derby deal in October 2020 to run to the summer of 2022.

However, the registration was subsequently withdrawn by the EFL in December. This is believed to be because the

EFL’s appeal against the Rams’ breach of financial fairplay rules was ongoing at the time.

Marriott is therefore available on a free transfer because he is deemed to be out of contract. That alerted several clubs to his availability and it did appear likely he would be heading to Championship club Hull City who are managed by Grant McCann.

McCann was the manager who signed Marriott for Posh.

But sources at the KCom Stadium suggested to the PT last weekend that McCann was resigned to missing out on Marriott, who thought a move back to Posh would re-kindle a spark that has been missing for two injury-plagued seasons.

“Darren Ferguson really fancies Jack as a player,” a Posh contact told the PT. “He has scored goals at Championship level and as a free transfer it seems like a no-brainer of a decision to bring him back.”

Marriott’s current issue with Derby revolves around a payment he is due from a club with serious financial issues.

Jack Marriott after scoring for Posh against Northampton