Ibane Bowat’s near two-year stay at Pompey has come to an end

Ibane Bowat’s Pompey exit has been confirmed.

The defender has ended his near two-year stay at Fratton Park by signing for Huddersfield on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the League One side, becoming manager Martin Drury’ s sixth new arrival of the summer transfer window.

Bowat’s also the fourth player to say goodbye to PO4 this summer, following the departures of Andre Dozzell (free transfer, DC United), Makenzie Kirk (loan, Barnsley) and Jordan Williams (loan, Blackpool).

Head coach John Mousinho revealed last month that the centre-back was free to leave as he entered the final 12 months of his contract.

With six specialist centre-backs in his ranks, the aim this summer has always been to trim that number back, despite Pompey’s efforts to sign Luke Graham coming up short.

Bowat didn’t travel with the rest of the Blues’ first-team for their pre-season friendly against 2. Bundesliga side Darmstadt on Saturday. leading Mousinho to confirm the wheels were in motion for his departure.

That’s now been confirmed, with the former Fulham defender embarking on a new career with the Terriers.

Bowat’s Fratton Park frustrations

Bowat had been with Pompey since the summer of 2025 following his move from Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

However, his maiden season at Fratton Park was ended just days after arriving after he suffered a serious knee injury in training.

The centre-back returned to the first-team squad last term but was restricted to just 18 appearances in all competitions.

The former Hartberg loanee scored two crucial goals in that time, though, scoring winners against Blackburn Rovers last December and the win against Leicester City which effectively kept Pompey in the Championship.

Bowat featured twice for Pompey in pre-season, but was an unused substitute in the defeat at Wycombe, which preceded the game in Darmstadt.

As well as the Blues looking to trim their central-defensive options, It’s understood the defender was also keen for more regular game time.

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