After failing to renegotiate a permanent deal with Burnley or attract an alternative Premier League club, Nugent returned to newly relegated Portsmouth in the 2010–11 pre-season. He was a regular starter as a left sided forward. After an initial goal drought that saw him fail to hit the net until his goal in a 6–1 defeat of Leicester City on 24 September 2010 (his first for Pompey since February 2009), Nugent finished the season as Portsmouth's top goalscorer, scoring 14 goals in all competitions.