There’s no guarantee that every bit of business conducted in the transfer market will prove a success.
Indeed, for every Colby Bishop, Lassana Diarra, Ricardo Rocha and Gavin Bazunu, there could easily be a Djimi Traore, Theofanis Gekas or Mike Williamson lying unexpectedly in await, too.
There’s no scientific explanation why a transfer can turn sour for one and be a huge success for another.
However, the nature of modern football, with players and managers changing clubs so often, means there's always going to be those who struggle to perform in a short space of time.
Like the majority of clubs, Pompey have found that out for themselves in recent years.
And with another transfer window on the horizon, the pressure will once again be on the Blues to get it right.
But what lessons can be learned?
Well, if the list below is anything to go on, there’s plenty of case studies to refer back to.
Of course, not everyone included is a bad player. It just didn't work out for them at Fratton Park for whatever reason.
The list doesn’t include anybody presently at the club. But let us know if there's anyone you think escaped it who deserves to be on the list from the Michael Eisner era.
There’s no scientific explanation why a transfer can turn sour for one and be a huge success for another.
![Signed from Italian club Atalanta in July 2018, the Blues had high hopes for the well-regarded Croatian goalkeeper. However, he departed Fratton Park by mutual consent 13 months later with just six loan appearances for Bognor to show for his efforts.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjYwMTRkNTI3LTU4MmYtNDA2Zi1iNDhmLWY5NTQ3OTQyODBmNjo5MDZmNDg1My1hODI5LTQ2ODktYjBiOC00YWQ3MWViMTQ3YjY=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
5. Petar Durin
Signed from Italian club Atalanta in July 2018, the Blues had high hopes for the well-regarded Croatian goalkeeper. However, he departed Fratton Park by mutual consent 13 months later with just six loan appearances for Bognor to show for his efforts.Photo: Joe Pepler
![The on-loan Villa winger admitted he ‘kind of felt lost’ during his time at Pompey. The 20-year-old spent the first half of the 2018-19 season at Fratton Park, before returning to his parent club in January 2019. He made 12 appearances and scored five times for the Blues during a loan period that saw him miss two months following surgery on his knee.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjIxMzA2ODE0LWE4ZGQtNDFkMi05YjI4LWU3OTE5MzA0MmViZTo2NmFkYjBkZC01NzExLTQ4N2YtOGNlMC1lMGQ1NjRmOWI5NzI=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
6. Andre Green
The on-loan Villa winger admitted he ‘kind of felt lost’ during his time at Pompey. The 20-year-old spent the first half of the 2018-19 season at Fratton Park, before returning to his parent club in January 2019. He made 12 appearances and scored five times for the Blues during a loan period that saw him miss two months following surgery on his knee.Photo: Joe Pepler
![The winger would, no doubt, rather forget his six months at PO4, after arriving in a January transfer window in 2019 which is seen as one of his club’s worst. Brought in by Kenny Jackett on loan from Barnsley, Isgrove was then strangely ignored by his manager. He left without ever making an appearance for the Blues.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjNjMWQ3OTAzLTE3YjEtNDVlZi05MzcxLWQwMmZiZjI0Mjc4ZTo2ZWUzMjczMC1kMmNkLTQ1ZWEtYTBhZS01NWNkMGUxOGMyOTE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
7. Lloyd Isgrove
The winger would, no doubt, rather forget his six months at PO4, after arriving in a January transfer window in 2019 which is seen as one of his club’s worst. Brought in by Kenny Jackett on loan from Barnsley, Isgrove was then strangely ignored by his manager. He left without ever making an appearance for the Blues.Photo: Joe Pepler
![The striker's Pompey spell will probably be best remembered for a horribly-taken penalty against Crawley in October 2018. Kenny Jackett raided former club Wolves to bring the Irishman to Fratton Park – but he couldn’t recapture the form that saw his parent club sign him from Cardiff for £250,000 in 2016. Mason made only four appearances in royal blue, including one substitute league outing, while his embarrassing penalty that sailed over the stands at Broadfield Stadium is not the kind of legacy he would’ve wanted.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjBmZDk5ZDEwLWE5YmYtNDkzMy1iYTZmLWUwZGZjNWJkMzJiNDpmOThlZGZiYi02YzMyLTQyOTItOWFhNi00M2FmMWJhM2M3NmU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
8. Joe Mason
The striker's Pompey spell will probably be best remembered for a horribly-taken penalty against Crawley in October 2018. Kenny Jackett raided former club Wolves to bring the Irishman to Fratton Park – but he couldn’t recapture the form that saw his parent club sign him from Cardiff for £250,000 in 2016. Mason made only four appearances in royal blue, including one substitute league outing, while his embarrassing penalty that sailed over the stands at Broadfield Stadium is not the kind of legacy he would’ve wanted.Photo: PinPep Media / Joe Pepler