Can only see Ainsley Maitland-Niles as a possible replacement, with WBA down and Arsenal considering him surplus to requirements. We can offer him first team football now, which was apparently the sticking point in the winter window.
Rico Henry and Brandon Williams are more likely IMO. I'm not sure AMN should be our first choice left back.
He also would likely have wanted a three year deal. Something we were never going to offer him on anything like his current terms I have a suspicion that what was on the table was two years. This could be proven wrong by his next contract.
Shame to loose him and a very classy exit...good intelligent professional and good luck to him where ever he goes (as long as its not to Pompey obviously)
My money would be him ending up at Arsenal. Him and Cedric as back ups is not a bad position for the club. And he will earn way more than he ever could at Southampton.
Thank you Ryan for some excellent service to Saints. We will miss you but the best of luck for the future with your new venture.
Some players leave and you can't remember their names five minutes after they've gone .. like whatsisname, you know. Others go and you knew they were always passing through - Sadio for example. Then every once in a while a decent player who you began to think of as part of the furniture ups and goes. And what you hope is that they'll go with dignity and integrity intact. So that you can wish him luck, look forward to maybe singing his name when he returns with another club, and simply enjoy the memory of watching him play. So, nice one, Ryan. Played like a true Saint to the last.
So at the end of the season we say goodbye to Bertrand and Long. Two long standing Saints that have been with us through the good and bad times. It will leave us with only JWP, Romeu and Forster from our greatest ever season in the PL.
Wonderful servant. Given the best years of his professional career to us. Quality left back who deserved more returns, at club and country, than he received. Best wishes and thank you.
I can understand Palace being interested. Fits in with their strategy of wanting younger bodies in this summer.
I hope Ryan is on the bench on Tuesday and if he just comes on for the last few seconds if he's not fit that would be fantastic. Not the same as 30,000 Saints fans giving him a send off but he deserves better than to just disappear quietly.
We don't agree on much on here but it is testament to him how we are pretty much all in agreement what a good player he has been and best wishes for the future (lallana, take note) Just one in a long list of very good leftback we have had. Always amazed me how long he could take to do a throw in.