Blues forward Conor Chaplin is set to return to his local club Portsmouth on loan for the rest of the season, TWTD understands.

Chaplin, 28, has been a key player in Kieran McKenna’s back-to-back promotion-winning side having signed for his old Pompey boss Paul Cook from Barnsley in the summer of 2021.

We understand there is a recall clause in the deal which could see the attacker come back to Portman Road in January.

Chaplin’s contract is up next summer but with the club having an option for a further season.

In total, Chaplin, who started Saturday’s game against Derby, has made 127 starts and 47 sub appearances, scoring 55 times.

Worthing-born Chaplin, who came through the ranks at Pompey before moving on to Coventry in January 2019, was joint-top scorer in League One in the 2022/23 campaign, netting 23 times, plus three more in cup competitions.

Chaplin will become the fourth senior departure of the day, along with Chieo Ogbene, who is set to join Sheffield United on loan, Luke Woolfenden, who is moving to Coventry, and Ali Al-Hamadi, who exits for Luton, initially on loan.

With Conor Townsend not being registered due to his ACL injury, the Blues are now down to the required 25 players aged above 21 for their Championship squad.

It’s understood there is nothing in reports linking Elkan Baggott with Peterborough or the Blues with former loanee Mark McGuinness.

Photo: Matchday Images

DavoIPB added 15:54 - Sep 1 Simply not the type of player we are now looking for in the team. We are looking for fast direct physical players. Expect philogene and Claire to have less playing time as well.
0

MickMillsTash added 15:55 - Sep 1 We are definitely ripping up the promotion 22/23 and 23/24 play book. Missed him last year - he looks a bit lost this season amongst a team of strangers but early days and has proved that he can make us tick. I still trust McKenna but crikey... Scored 13 last time at this level and is 28 - £7 million ?
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Ruddock2021 added 15:56 - Sep 1 Hope this means we're going back in for Hackney...
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December1963 added 15:57 - Sep 1 Thought he was our best player on Saturday, connecting the midfield to attack. He would be one of the first names on the team sheet if it was up to me. Very disappointing and this is from someone who generally backs the club to the hilt. Many thanks Conner if we don’t see you in a town shirt again you’ve given us some fantastic memories, who can forget Barnsley.
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Ruddock2021 added 15:57 - Sep 1 Hope this means we're going back in for Hackney...
3

December1963 added 15:57 - Sep 1 Thought he was our best player on Saturday, connecting the midfield to attack. He would be one of the first names on the team sheet if it was up to me. Very disappointing and this is from someone who generally backs the club to the hilt. Many thanks Conner if we don’t see you in a town shirt again you’ve given us some fantastic memories, who can forget Barnsley.
0

December1963 added 15:57 - Sep 1 Thought he was our best player on Saturday, connecting the midfield to attack. He would be one of the first names on the team sheet if it was up to me. Very disappointing and this is from someone who generally backs the club to the hilt. Many thanks Conner if we don’t see you in a town shirt again you’ve given us some fantastic memories, who can forget Barnsley.
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December1963 added 15:57 - Sep 1 Thought he was our best player on Saturday, connecting the midfield to attack. He would be one of the first names on the team sheet if it was up to me. Very disappointing and this is from someone who generally backs the club to the hilt. Many thanks Conner if we don’t see you in a town shirt again you’ve given us some fantastic memories, who can forget Barnsley.
0

Edmundo added 15:57 - Sep 1 I just bl00dy well hope they know what they're doing. It's s*** or bust from this point on. Potentially a masterstoke but also very much Potentially a car crash of a season coming up.
12

JonDouglas4Ballondor added 15:57 - Sep 1 @DavolPB when why are we loaning Ogbene out?
1

bignics added 15:58 - Sep 1 Bit like Woolfenden didn’t cost 15 million so clearly can’t be good enough….!! Oh hang on…..
11

JonDouglas4Ballondor added 15:59 - Sep 1 My head is on mars, seriously what are we playing at? One our most consistent players who doesn't need to learn our system as he has been a part of it for years and he played well on Saturday. Absolutely livid!
14

Magic8 added 15:59 - Sep 1 No sentiment in football ..the King is dead..long live the King.. New heroes will emerge....as they do .
7

Vanisleblue2 added 16:00 - Sep 1 This makes me very angry All the players that live and understand the ethos of this football club are leaving Chaplin is way more than a good player he’s a community ambassador
19

timkatieadamitfc added 16:00 - Sep 1 Ridiculous. Get rid of a player like this and sign one like mcateer . Someone’s lost the plot. Terrible transfer window with players lost against brought in.
5

BeachBlue added 16:00 - Sep 1 If you need me, I'll be in the corner crying. You're welcome to join me.
17

Ipswich_Sniffer added 16:00 - Sep 1 WTF
5

blues1 added 16:01 - Sep 1 Gforce. Chaplin did absolutely nothing on saturday. And once the international break is done, he was simply not gonna be playing, with the options we have for the number 10 role. Makes total sense to allow him to go out on loan.
1

paul73 added 16:01 - Sep 1 This comes of little surprise given our recent signings. Had little effect on the game v Derby , and has been poor when coming on as sub . Fans need to realise, its a new build ,and in that , some players who we hold in great esteem will be moving on . Between Nunez and the Norwegian lad , plus Szmodics we are very well covered in that position .
1

BlueInBerks added 16:01 - Sep 1 I go with you Baxter. Would rather see him stay, but if we have hopes of getting back to the Prem, then we have to be better than we were last time around. That means replacing what we have with players who are at a higher level now, or have (a higher headroom and) the capacity to get better over the course of a season (or two) so that we can actually be competitive in the Prem.

2

paul73 added 16:01 - Sep 1 This comes of little surprise given our recent signings. Had little effect on the game v Derby , and has been poor when coming on as sub . Fans need to realise, its a new build ,and in that , some players who we hold in great esteem will be moving on . Between Nunez and the Norwegian lad , plus Szmodics we are very well covered in that position .
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ringwoodblue added 16:01 - Sep 1 McKenna is Demolition Man 2. The massive clear out continues and there aren’t many left from our two back-to-back promotion seasons. A sad day indeed if Woolfie and Chappers leave.
6

StowTractor added 16:04 - Sep 1 This one I don't understand. Losing the only remaining forward that he played with in a winning team is not going to help Hirst adjust to the new team nor will the loss of his golfing partner. Unless we are making room in the squad for a new striker in a surprise signing of course. I always thought that Chappers might let his contract run down this season and rejoin Pompey on a free next summer. But if we must let him go back to them now would have thought it makes business sense to get a fee rather than it being a loan. Unless that is the purpose of the Jan recall clause, to ensure that we force them to pay a fee to retain him then, like Edmundson at Borough last season, and like Brighton did to us with Walton 4 years ago.

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blueoutlook added 16:04 - Sep 1 MA and KM floundering around in the dark.
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cordonblue added 16:04 - Sep 1 Absolutely gutted with this one. Not one for overreaction at all but this is a knife through the heart. CC was central to our running towards adversity mantra, the work in the community, the connection between fans and team. We are losing more than a player. I trust in McKenna to work out the early season problems but this is all too synonymous with the issues plaguing modern football, something our double promotion journey was a fabulous antidote against. This is a stark reminder that we are vulnerable to the same machinations of the modern game as everyone else. Cheers Conor

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