Conor Chaplin’s return to his boyhood club Portsmouth on a season-long loan has been confirmed.

TWTD revealed this afternoon that Chaplin was set to make a shock move back to his local club, six and a half years after departing Fratton Park and four years after joining the Blues from Barnsley.

There is a recall clause in the deal which could see the attacker come back to Portman Road in January. His Town contract is up next summer but with the club having an option for a further season.

It’s understood Chaplin was keen to play week in, week out, something which wasn’t guaranteed at Town in the campaign ahead, and when the possibility of a move back to Pompey emerged, the Worthing-born attacker was interested in pursuing it and the club helped facilitate the loan switch. Had it been any other side, the Blues may not have given the greenlight to the move.

“I’m sure that Conor doesn’t really need any introduction to the Pompey faithful,” Pompey boss John Mousinho told his club’s official website.

“This is a deal that I know everyone’s going to be excited about and we’re grateful to Ipswich for loaning him to us.

“We’re delighted to bring in someone who’s a proven Championship goalscorer and was part of a side that recently enjoyed an outstanding season at this level.

“With the fact that he’s at the prime of his career – along with the history he has here – it’s a brilliant signing for us.”

Chaplin, who joins former Blues midfielder Andre Dozzell at Pompey, was a key player in Kieran McKenna’s back-to-back promotion-winning side having signed for his old Pompey boss Paul Cook in the summer of 2021, making a total of 127 starts and 47 sub appearances, scoring 55 times.

Chaplin, who came through the ranks at Portsmouth 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.

That season he was named Town’s Player of the Year and the EFL’s League Player of the Year and was included in the EFL and PFA’s League One Teams of the Season.

He also made a strong contribution to the Championship promotion season which followed, scoring 13 times.

The 28-year-old’s involvement was more limited in the Premier League in 2024/25, although he still made 12 starts and 10 sub appearances, scoring once.

Chaplin is one of four senior deadline-day departures, along with Chieo Ogbene, whose loan move to Sheffield United was confirmed earlier, Luke Woolfenden, who is moving to Coventry, and Ali Al-Hamadi, who is departing 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.

Chaplin’s exit is Town’s last business of what’s been a seismic transfer window for the Blues which has seen the departure of many of the stars of the back-to-back promotion seasons.

In addition to deadline-day departures, skipper Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, Nathan Broadhead, Axel Tuanzebe, Marcus Harness, Cameron Burgess and Omari Hutchinson have moved on from the double promotion squad, along with Liam Delap and Aro Muric from last summer's signings, a total of 14 permanent exits, plus four loanees going back to their clubs, although with one of those, Jens Cajuste, returning for a second season.

The Blues signed 11 senior players on a permanent or loan basis - development squad member Luca Fletcher the only recruit on deadline day, from Manchester City initially on loan - with manager Kieran McKenna having admitted that he now has the job of rebuilding his team during a season when much is expected of his side.

In addition to Cajuste, Ivan Azon, Chuba Akpom and Cedric Kipre joined on loan, while David Button, Azor Matusiwa, Sindre Walle Egeli, Ashley Young, Darnell Furlong, Kasey McAteer and Marcelino Nunez all signed on a permanent basis.

Photo: Matchday Images

Dissboyitfc added 11:46 - Sep 2 Well he cares more than you that’s for sure. You love to be negative for you it’s like oxygen!
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hyperbrit added 11:49 - Sep 2 any sports psycologist (sp) will tell you that most of last years players took such an emotional beating in the Premiership that only playing full time will get it back and sitting on the bench for over an hour will just make it worse.They cam be recalled in Jan. remember a crucial time
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hyperbrit added 11:53 - Sep 2 the big question is does McK still have the mojo to do it or has his confidence been destroyed too?
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DeepBlueSomething added 12:52 - Sep 2 I’m sorry but this defies belief. Has been a playmaker for us and always combined well up front. How does he not fit into plans when players like Clarke get a look in? Sadly we won’t see him in a Town shirt again. I fear for us this season and I also fear that McKenna has lost the plot completely. A season of managing expectations lies ahead.
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branchini1979 added 13:03 - Sep 2 I've said before, my biggest worry is Mckenna needs to be more adaptive! Our promotion heroes have left, and got in new blood..... to play the same system for 3 years now!!! It's obviously a good system, hey got us 2 promotions but hate to say it as love Mckenna but a certain Russell Martin did not adapt and look at him. Opposing teams know how to set up against us as they know Mckenna always does the same so will be nice if he changes it when needs to and really surprise the opposition. After all said and done i support the town and will keep faith in Ashton/Mckenna and the boys and hope we get back to the prem this season

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Cakeman added 13:11 - Sep 2 The loss of Wolfie and Conor has just about sunk in with me but whilst trying to remain positive I cannot help thinking there have been far too many changes for us to be a real force this season. The squad which took us on an unbelievable journey for three years has all but been ripped apart in Paul Cook style. I do appreciate there was no choice re Delap and Hutchinson. It looks to me that we now have several players that are very similar. It will be difficult to pick a strongest eleven. Despite this we are still short of experienced players, Ones that are streetwise. We have lots of talented individuals but they must learn very quickly to become team players. Trying look at my glass as being half full but it is very difficult. We hear lots from management that we must get behind the team. Of course I understand that but was it really necessary to try and fix what was largely unbroken?

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SpiritOfJohn added 13:47 - Sep 2 Sad to see Chappers and Woolfy go, but appreciate that they left to get regular football. Changing so many players in one transfer window is not usually a recipe for success. It is a high risk strategy and will test McKenna's ability to get the best out of the newcomers sooner rather than later.
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barrystedmunds added 14:18 - Sep 2 I accept we move on, we have to and to see the likes of Chappers leaving (albeit on loan) was always going to be an emotional time. My concern is the integration of all the new guys; the last time we were talking these amount of numbers was in the ill fated Hirst era and that didn’t go well. I never bought into the “Championship “ favourites botox and this season could well prove to be a transitional one for us.

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dirtydingusmagee added 15:34 - Sep 2 This will come back to bite McKenna if things dont improve quicklly now, imo
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jonju11 added 16:37 - Sep 2 Shortsighted decision to offload Chaplin. The only midfielder with vision now that Morsy has departed. In my view he has been the stand out, consistent player for us in the Championship. We might regret to live with this decision
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Taricco_Fan added 19:10 - Sep 2 Sickening. This one stings the most.
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