Leyton Orient have suffered Ipswich Town fate with most underwhelming Richie Wellens signing: View | OneFootball

Leyton Orient's transfer business under Richie Wellens has been a key factor in the team's success.

The likes of Theo Archibald and George Moncur helped the O's to win the League Two title two seasons ago.

Meanwhile, the additions of Ollie O'Neill, Dan Agyei and Ethan Galbraith helped the East London club to exceed expectations in their return to League One.

However, one player that Wellens would have liked to contribute more was striker Joe Pigott, who arrived on a free transfer from Ipswich Town last summer.

Joe Pigott at Leyton Orient

Pigott was brought in as a League One-proven player that would add much-needed experience to a largely young squad.

With the likes of Dan Agyei and Ruel Sotiriou able to share the goalscoring load, he was never expected to be prolific for the O's.

But, summer signing Agyei suffered an injury in pre-season that kept him out until the end of November, meaning that Pigott needed to shoulder more responsibility.

Yet, he could only muster up two league goals, against Exeter City and Barnsley, respectively, by the time the January transfer window came around.

As a result, youngsters Dan Adu-Adjei and Khayon Edwards were signed on loan in an attempt to provide Wellens' side with more attacking threat.

Neither they nor Pigott had much luck in front of goal for the remainder of the campaign, hence Orient finishing as the tenth-lowest scoring side in the division.

And while the loanees have now returned to their parent clubs, Pigott heads into the summer with another year left on his O's contract.

But after offering next to nothing throughout the 2023/24 season, there is every possibility that Wellens will not include him in his plans for the next campaign.

Joe Pigott's career

Pigott came through Charlton Athletic's academy, making his first team debut in a 4–0 victory over Oxford United in the League Cup.

He only played 16 times for the Addicks in all competitions, though, as he spent much of his time on loan elsewhere.

First, he joined National League South side Bromley, before spells at Football League clubs Gillingham, Newport County, Southend United and Luton Town.

Pigott was then released by Charlton at the end of the 2015-16 season and signed for Cambridge United, where he failed to score a single league goal.

Midway through his only season at the Abbey Stadium, he joined non-league club Maidstone United on loan.

His six goals in 17 games were enough to convince them to sign the striker to a one-year deal in the summer of 2017, and he repaid them by scoring 14 in the first half of the following campaign.

Pigott's fine form in the National League earned him a move to AFC Wimbledon, who agreed to pay an undisclosed fee.

The forward went on to spend three and a half years in south-west London, yet he probably wishes he had stayed longer.

Having scored 54 goals in 157 appearances for the Wombles, better than one goal every three games, he left for Ipswich Town on a free transfer in 2021.

The 30-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Suffolk club, but he only spent two seasons there before his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

And, one of those was at fellow League One team Portsmouth, who were also unable to get a tune out of him.

Unfortunately for Orient, he performed far more similarly to his time at Ipswich last season than his productive spell at Wimbledon, and will go down as Wellens' most underwhelming signing.