Chaplin: No Idea Where I'll Be Next Season
Wednesday, 15th Apr 2026 17:31

On-loan Blues forward Conor Chaplin admits he doesn’t know where he will be playing his football next season.

The 29-year-old, one of the heroes of the back-to-back promotion team, has spent this season back on loan with his hometown club Portsmouth, where he started his career, with his Town contract up in the summer, although with the Blues having an option for a further year.

“God knows, I honestly have no idea at the moment,” Chaplin told the Portsmouth News when asked where his future might lie beyond the end of the campaign. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it - and I don’t want to think about it.

“I don’t want to give energy to anything else, other than making sure this club is in the Championship next season.

“It would mean the world to me for this club to be in the Championship next season, so I just want to make sure that happens first.”

Chaplin, who was unavailable against his parent club last night, has made 24 starts and nine sub appearances for Pompey this season, but has scored only twice, as well as picking up three assists, and admits the year back at Fratton Park hasn’t gone to plan.

“I’ve enjoyed finding out what I’m made of in this situation,” he insisted. “It’s adversity, it’s a season which has not gone my way.

“It’s not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination at all, but it’s one where I’ve had really high expectations and I’ve probably not reached those.

“But I have enjoyed turning up and finding out what I’m made of every single day. Can I still turn up do the right things? Can I still drive my teammates every day in training? I have done - and I’m proud of that.

“So hopefully I can get some more reward for that between now and the end of the season.”

Photo: Matchday Images

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orfordbuoy added 17:43 - Apr 15 after last night .....nor do we
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Bazza8564 added 17:50 - Apr 15 A true hero of our regeneration, I hope he gets a decent contract somewhere, but it won't be here sadly. We probably had the best years of CC, and he would have earned well from the PL season from all accounts, but I think he's far from finished yet. I think we all wish him well and have a soft spot for Chappers
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statto72 added 18:11 - Apr 15 His home town is Worthing
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armchaircritic59 added 18:50 - Apr 15 Yes, best of luck CC. Good footballer certainly at Championship level. More importantly from everything I've read and heard, a top guy off the pitch.
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ringwoodblue added 19:10 - Apr 15 Wonder if Sky have ever invited a player to be a pundit for a game between their loan club and their parent club like they did with Chappers last night. I don’t recall this happening before.
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Karlosfandangal added 19:11 - Apr 15 Wish we had kept him and sent Akpom back…………he would have been better
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churchmans added 20:40 - Apr 15 Better number 10 than nunez thats for sure
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Lightningboy added 20:56 - Apr 15 He would've brought a hell of a lot more to our season than Akpom has..which wouldn't be difficult. Personally I hope you're back here Conor or at the very least get yourself a good deal with Pompey in the Championship.
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PortmanTerrorist added 21:59 - Apr 15

Hard o argue with some comments on here. I know Nunez stats when he starts are great in terns of points, but has anyone really replaced him? Perhaps more pertinent, does anyone think Hirst would not have had a hatful more goals with CC in the squad. Keeping him was not sentimental, it should have been the logical/correct choice over a complete punt with Akpom.

kiwiblue added 02:14 - Apr 16

Good if we are not promoted for a 2 year deal as excellent back up and even number 10. If we are promoted can still do a job for us in my opinion.
Think he would prefer to play regularly though so best of luck to him and set him and his family up for life and get good role in a good team. Would like him to get a game to feel the love not like Morsy as them and Burns deserve that. Cheers Chappers.

pablo123 added 06:36 - Apr 16 Neither have we connor
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darkhorse28 added 10:07 - Apr 16

Churchmans, Nunez doesn’t look great does he, not mobile enough, not enough quality for the level above, movement not great. Very good at this level though, great set pieces, works hard (slowly) but thought he was a level about what he is …, has been a bit stop start with injuries, maybe one of those players needs a big run of games…, will be great option if we stay at this level…, just not what I’d hoped.

I wanted to build a team around him…, him be here forever and have real quality. The pace issue isn’t great in that role. He can’t press quick enough or run past forwards.

I like him as CDM play maker but then he doesn’t do the defensive stuff well enough.

Maybe he’s another number 8 alongside Taylor, Jens etc in a system where we literally don’t need a single 8 .., we have a few might be better in a 3 in midfield to mitigate their weaknesses.

Bizarre squad development and shaping this last two seasons, really odd, like buying talent for the sake of talent and not to fill roles.

Would love to be a fly on the wall - I’d land on Ashtons custard creams.

ITFC_1994 added 12:03 - Apr 16 Town legend and great guy. We could have done with his leadership this season. He was absolutely superb in the two promotion seasons and held his own in the prem. A joy to watch!
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BerksBlue15 added 11:52 - Apr 17

For all the comments about Nunez (team leader in assists), is it any wonder Davis only has 4 assists this season vs 21 the last time we were in the Championship without CC? How many goals did we score from Leif getting forward and cutting it back for Chaplin on the edge of the box? No doubt partly teams have worked out that's how we attack and we've had to adapt, but not having CC must also be a factor.

have_a_word_with_him added 22:28 - Apr 17 Never understood the moves to let Chappers go and bring in some very shoddy replacements. Absolutely top man and in my opinion we've very much missed his influence around the club.
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carlgibbs13 added 13:05 - Apr 18 If we start in the championship next season, and I absolutely think we will, then having CC in our squad will be amazing. He's been an absolute talisman for us for several years, and still has a good few years left in him. If he's going to give those best years, id rather it was with us and not our rivals.
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