After playing a starring role during back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, Chaplin had limited minutes in Town’s Premier League relegation campaign and was subsequently loaned to Pompey.
The 29-year-old’s spell back at his boyhood club hasn’t quite gone to plan though, with him scoring two goals in 25 starts and nine sub appearances, including a last-gasp winner at Middlesbrough last weekend.
During Chapin’s time away, Ipswich have converted Marcelino Nunez into a more attacking midfielder and also signed Anis Mehmeti to compete for the No.10 slot.
His contract at Portman Road is set to expire this summer, though the Blues do have the option to extend that by a further 12 months.
Asked where he thought he’d be playing his football next season, Chaplin told the Portsmouth News: “God knows, I honestly have no idea at the moment.
“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.”
Reflecting on his season so far, he said: ‘I’m not just saying it, I’ve enjoyed finding out what I’m made of in this situation. 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 and do the right things? Can I still drive my team-mates 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.”
Back-to-back wins against promotion-chasing duo Middlesbrough and Ipswich have lifted Pompey four points clear of the drop zone with four games to play.
John Mousinho’s men have a huge game against fellow relegation fighters Leicester, at Fratton Park, on Saturday before facing Coventry, Stoke and Birmingham in their final three.