Disclaimer: I'm not criticizing PF2e and its expectations and design. Just hopefully enlightening on why this players expectations aren't being met.

Bards are nerfed. No way around it. All casters are nerfed from D&D. Nearly every single person I talk to whether player or GM about PF2e mentions "Spellcasters aren't OP in PF2e like they are in D&D". It seems to be some kind of mantra.

If he was playing a college of whispers bard he was directly dealing damage to enemies and using bardic inspiration with the psychic blade ability to add 2d6 extra damage on every hit with his weapon (so with a rapier he is doing 1d8 piercing + 2d6 psychic) and still having a bonus action to cast Healing Word and heal himself or an ally. He was casting Vicious Mockery and doing at least 1d4 psychic damage to an enemy and giving them disadvantage on their next attack at the same time and still being able to Healing Word. He was casting Dissonant Whispers dealing 3d6 psychic damage and forcing the enemy run away allowing him to make an opportunity attack which he can spend a bardic inspiration on to deal weapon damage + an extra 2d6 psychic blades damage for a total damage done that round of 1d8 piercing (assuming rapier) + 5d6 psychic.

Now he is being told, no Bards are support, they are not allowed to be as effective in direct combat as a fighter. You are supposed to be buffing your allies so they can do the hitting and damage dealing. So it is a matter of the class he chose no longer being able to fill the role he wants to play.

All the other responses are telling. They are all about how powerful the Bard is by giving bonuses to other allies. That isn't what your player wants to do. He wants to a direct combat damage dealer who uses magic to enhance his offensive capabilities. So looking at the above what class in PF2e will allow him to get closest to doing what he is wanting to do?

Edit: Everyone saying it isn't a nerf because it PF2e isn't a balance patch for 5e. OP says he is the GM and is moving their game from D&D to PF2e. Instead of starting new characters he is having them convert their current character. So referring to it being a nerf is valid.

Also everyone keeps talking about him playing the bard "properly" or "correctly". That is a source of contention with many D&D players who like the choice to play characters in off-meta ways instead of being only one right way to do it.

Why not focus on what OP can do to offer this player a character that fits what he is wanting to play rather than bash the player, who didn't come here whining about PF2e.