Southampton fans express discontent over the departure of forward Ross Stewart after he had only lately begun to impress with his scoring prowess in an otherwise injury-ridden spell.
In recent weeks, many Championship clubs have announced their retained and released lists ahead of the summer. While the Spygate incident caused Southampton to be slightly delayed, the club has now followed suit by publishing its own list of departing players.
In this regard, the free exits of out‑of‑favour players like Will Smallbone, Oriol Romeu, Alex McCarthy, Joe Aribo, and Charlie Taylor come as little surprise. However, it must be noted that the released list also includes Ross Stewart.
Previously, the Scot’s renewal situation was deemed complex due to a financial standoff between his representatives and the Saints. His inclusion on the departures list confirms the issue could not be resolved, and Stewart now leaves St. Mary’s after a lacklustre three‑year spell.
Ross Stewart’s underwhelming Southampton spell
Southampton brought in Ross Stewart in an ambitious £10m move from Sunderland ahead of the 2023/24 Championship season to help their promotion push. However, the forward’s St. Mary’s spell did not turn out as planned.
Let alone spearheading the Saints’ attack, Stewart spent most of the season on the sidelines, making only three appearances in the club’s promotion‑winning 2023/24 campaign.
While things were hoped to improve in the subsequent Premier League campaign, Stewart’s fitness struggles hardly improved. After missing months of action due to a hamstring issue, the forward only returned towards the end of the season in another underwhelming campaign.
Notably, the 2025/26 campaign was the only glimmer of hope in his entire St. Mary’s spell. That season was the only one where Stewart managed to get the ground going, with 11 goals and over 30 appearances, making it the first time he had reached those numbers since the 2021/22 season.
Southampton fans express discontent with Ross Stewart’s free exit
It was only in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign that Stewart had started providing the goals for which he was brought. With the forward leaving just as fans had barely begun to appreciate his contribution, his free exit has not sat well with the majority of the Saints faithful.
A large section of fans stood in unison, commenting: “That’s very disappointing — after everything the club did to get him back to fitness, playing & scoring. Wish him luck, but sadly, further evidence of no loyalty left in football.”
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Throughout his Southampton stay, Stewart made only 50 appearances while missing around 100 matches due to fitness struggles. Given that he could have stayed to help the club’s promotion push as a way of repaying their unwavering support over the past three years, Stewart’s departure comes as a heartbreaking conclusion for the faithful.
What next for Southampton after Stewart’s departure?
Currently, Southampton find themselves with only one reliable forward in Cyle Larin. With other attackers either tipped to leave or being inconsistent so far, the club needs a vital addition to complement Larin up front.
So far, Southampton’s transfer plans have prioritised searching for wing reinforcements or a number ten alternative to Fin Azaz. However, the recent Ross Stewart update ought to shift the club’s focus toward bringing in a quality centre-forward.
As of now, several names have been rumoured to strengthen the Saints’ attack. Among those discussed, the possibility of re‑signing former prodigy Dom Ballard is gaining traction among the fanbase.
But again, it remains to be seen whether Southampton would move for a League One option like Ballard and entrust him with Premier League promotion responsibilities. The next few days will be crucial in determining how the club plans to fill the void left by Stewart’s exit.
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