Portsmouth boss John Mousinho says he would be interested in Blues striker Joe Pigott returning to Fratton Park next season, although says the 29-year-old wouldn’t be a 46-game regular for the League One side.
Pigott spent 2022/23 on loan at Pompey making 16 starts - nine in the league - and 28 sub appearances, scoring seven goals.
The frontman has another year left on his Town contract having joined the Blues on a free transfer after leaving AFC Wimbledon in the summer of 2021.
"I don’t know what Ipswich’s plans are for Joe next year,” Mousinho told Portsmouth News.
"I’ve asked him to let us know what that looks like. I don’t know if they want to loan him out or possibly see if there's a permanent deal out there for him.
"But we would be interested in bringing him back and I’ve had a conversation to Joe about that. It’s going to be a case of finances and what he wants to do.
"We really, really value what he did for us this season — and I’ve told him that. I thought he was excellent.
"When we used him as a nine he did really well, while when needed as a 10 or a wide left — as in the last game of the season — he was brilliant.
"He’ll now have interest from clubs that will want to play him for 46 games next year, but that probably isn’t the case here because of how well Colby [Bishop] has done. We want to be honest with Joe about that.
"We’ve been playing one up top and I don’t think anyone would argue Colby fully deserves his place in the side — so that has been difficult for the other two centre-forwards.
"If Joe wants to be right in with a chance of playing 46 games, that’s probably not here, so that’s something he needs to think about. But, if there is an option to bring him back, that’s something we would entertain.”
Mousinho, who took charge at Fratton Park in January after retiring as a player at Oxford, added: "Whenever Joe’s come on, he has been a threat. Considering how little he has been employed over the past few months, he also scored quite a few.
"In all honesty, if he hadn't been sent off against Accrington, I could have seen him nailing down that number 10 role until the end of the season, especially when we played two holders and a 10.
"He was just coming into his own, getting fit and it was an unfortunate time for him to pick up the red card.
"We saw plenty of Joe to like what he offers and he was pretty much always the first sub we looked to to change the game.”
Whether or not he returns to Pompey, Pigott is certain spend next season away from Portman Road, making either a permanent or loan move over the summer.
The Maidstone-born striker has made 14 starts and 15 sub appearances, scoring three times.