Pompey have completed the signing of striker Colby Bishop from Accrington for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year deal, with the club option of a further 12 months.
He struck 39 goals in 123 appearances for Stanley after being plucked from the non-league game by John Coleman.
Blues boss Danny Cowley said: “It wasn’t straightforward – these things never are – and we had to be pretty resilient and determined.
“We had an offer accepted for Colby and there was also Championship interest, while he wants to play at the highest level possible.
“So we were a bit nervous, but we spoke with him and told him to take his time and make an intelligent decision. Ultimately, he’s chosen to come here – and that’s brilliant.
“He wants to play in the Championship and so do we, so I think our ambitions are aligned in that sense.
“My chief scouts in the centre-forward department are always my centre-halves, so we spoke with Clark Robertson, Sean Raggett and Connor Ogilvie.
"He wants to play in the Championship and so do we, so I think our ambitions are aligned in that sense."
“I asked them for the toughest forward they’ve played against in this division and they all said Colby, which says a lot about his attributes.
“He’s an unselfish link player, which is something that we really like and we relish the opportunity to play into and up to him.
“We also like to get into wide areas and cross the ball, and in the box he carries a real threat – both from open play and set-pieces.
“It’s a really exciting signing for Portsmouth Football Club and we’ve had to be patient, but I think that Colby could see that he’s really wanted here.”
Bishop began his career with Notts County and played a handful of games before moving on to feature for Worcester, Boston and Leamington.
His prolific form for the latter club included a haul of 29 goals from 36 starts during the 2018/19 National League North campaign.
That earned Bishop a move to Accrington, although he first had to work out his notice period as a primary school teacher.
He excelled in a return to the professional game, however, and has hit double figures in each of his three seasons at the Crown Ground.
He's here and he's perfect 😍#Pompey pic.twitter.com/QctQGIHgsW
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) July 21, 2022