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Huddersfield Town complete deal for Championship defender on three-year contract The 23-year-old has joined the Terriers on a long-term deal Huddersfield Town have signed centre-back Ibane Bowat from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old has joined the Terriers after spending two seasons with the Championship outfit, with the defender penning a three-year deal with his new side. Bowat is Town’s sixth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Ashley Fletcher, Matty Young, Ethan Brierley, Ilias Bronkhorst and Derensili Sanches Fernandes to the club. “Ibane is an imposing and athletic central defender who has enjoyed an impressive start to his professional career, with exposure to different challenges and expectations for someone of his age,” Town’s sporting director Chris Markham told his club’s website. “Benefiting from development within elite Premier League academy environments, his hunger to improve is clear from the time he’s spent abroad in the Netherlands and Austria, testing himself at a senior level in challenging environments both as a person and professional. “Physically gifted, naturally left-sided defenders are a profile that aren’t easy to come by and with the scope to grow and improve, he’s everything we want from a Huddersfield Town player both on and off the pitch. “In addition to his ability, the flexibility he provides us in defensive areas is key and we believe that we can help Ibane fulfil his potential over a number of years and think he’s the kind of player and personality Town fans will get behind.” Town head coach Martin Drury added: “Ibane is a positive addition to our squad. He’s a good age and has been at clubs with a reputation for developing talent. He will provide us with something different within our defensive options, has attributes that make us stronger from set plays and it was clear in every conversation about his desire to improve and further his own career. “He will create a healthy level of competition for us, which is the culture we want to create. We look forward to supporting Ibane as a coaching staff, as we feel that he has the potential to become an important player for our club, both now and in the future.” Upon sealing his switch, Bowat said: “I’m so happy to have this move complete and to become a Huddersfield Town player. After some really exciting conversations and a visit to see the training ground and stadium, I knew this was the right club to take the next step in my career with. “I want to contribute from day one and share everyone’s ambitions here in how we want to play and what we want to achieve, and I know there are coaches and players here that I can learn from and improve too. This is a big club with an amazing history, and I’m excited to show our supporters my best and play my part for us this season and beyond.” Bowat began his career in the academies of Chelsea and Fulham, before getting his first senior experience with loans at Dutch outfit Den Bosch and Austrian side TSV Hartberg, where he made 49 appearances across those spells in total. The centre-back then joined Pompey in 2024, and after a long-term injury prevented him from playing for the Championship outfit in his first season at the club, the defender went on to feature 18 times for his former side last term. Upon Bowat’s departure from Fratton Park, Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told his club’s website: “We would like to thank Ibane for his efforts in a Pompey shirt and wish him well for the next stage of his career. “After suffering a serious injury shortly after joining the club, he fought back well and played a crucial role in our Championship survival last term. “But we did not want to stand in his way of hopefully getting more minutes at a strong League One side and I’m sure he will do a good job at Huddersfield.”