John Mousinho addresses potential Portsmouth return for Ipswich Town ace after ‘tough’ homecoming
Conor Chaplin has netted two goals and provided two assists during his Fratton Park loan stay this term.
John Mousinho has left the door ajar to a potential return for Conor Chaplin next season.
But the head coach has admitted a move for the forward will depend on whether Ipswich Town were to trigger a 12-month option on his current Portman Road contract.
It’s been a frustrating homecoming for the 29-year-old, who has struggled to hit the heights many expected after his deadline-day arrival in September.
By his own admission, Chaplin recently admitted to The News that he felt he’s let Pompey fans down during his season-long loan stay, which has yielded just two goals and three assists.
The academy graduate is set to bid farewell to the Fratton faithful for the second time this weekend as Mousinho’s men welcome Birmingham City in the season finale at PO4.
John Mousinho address potential Pompey return for Ipswich Town loanee
Ipswich are still yet to discover their future, with their promotion battle going to the final day as they bid to make an instant return to the Premier League.
Mousinho has, though, left the door ajar to a potential move for Chaplin this summer, with conversations between the club and his agent set to to take place if Ipswich opt against taking up his transfer clause.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, the head coach said: ‘We’ll see what happens with Ipswich first in terms of the priority and the option they have on the player.
‘If they don’t, then it’ll definitely be a conversation between us and Conor’s agent in the summer so left it open from that point of view.’
After sealing his Fratton homecoming in September, there was hope Chaplin’s addition would propel Pompey away from a potential relegation battle.
That wouldn’t be the case, however, with the forward amassing just five goal contributions in 36 appearances for Mousinho’s troops, who secured survival with two games to go.
And it was a campaign which tested the League Two title-winner as a person and professional as he overcame the ‘tough’ return.
Conor Chaplin on ‘tough’ Pompey homecoming
‘There’s been a lot of emotion,’ Chaplin to The News earlier this month as he reflected on his Fratton loan stay.
‘There’s been a feeling of times that I’ve let people down - I’ve left the fans down and I’ve let the manager down.
‘But I genuinely haven’t dropped belief that I’m a very good player at this level, I’ve not dropped belief that I can make a difference for us until the end of the season.
‘I think once that belief goes you’re toast, so you really have to believe that.
‘Then I think it’s just the work every day. I like to do as much as I can to recover, as much as I can to be ready and stay ready.
‘I think moments like that at Middlesbrough justify why you do that. That’s rewards, in my eyes, for doing as much as you can to be ready and stay ready.
‘For me, it’s my family, my kids and my fiancee who’ve kept me going - that’s never been more so than now.
‘There’s been certain elements I’ve actually really enjoyed about this tough spell, because I’ve had a real upward trajectory in the last four or five years of my career.
‘I know that a career isn’t just linear, there’s all sorts of things which happen in a career - so I’ve genuinely enjoyed finding out what I’m made of in adversity.
‘I’ve enjoyed finding out how I react when people doubt me, I’ve enjoyed finding out how I react when things aren’t going my way and I’m not scoring goals.
‘I’ve found how good a professional I can be every single day when things aren’t going my way. I think that’s what I’m proud of most.’