“Rothwell Reflects on Saints’ Loan Success, Ponders Future: Blackburn Midfielder Assesses Southampton Loan Spell as ‘Positive”
Joe Rothwell has shared an update regarding his future with Southampton after completing his loan from Bournemouth.
The midfielder joined Southampton in the January transfer window to assist the club in its pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.
Prior to his move to St. Mary’s, the 29-year-old had limited playing time with Bournemouth, but he made 16 appearances during the regular Championship season with Southampton (statistics from Fbref).
Rothwell also came off the bench in the team’s 3-1 second-leg victory over West Brom in the play-off semi-finals, which was his final appearance before the loan ended.
With the summer transfer window opening next month, it is still uncertain whether he will return to the Hampshire club.
Joe Rothwell discusses his future after his loan spell at Southampton.
Rothwell acknowledged that his loan move to Southampton didn’t go as planned, despite the club achieving promotion.
He started only four matches for Russell Martin’s team, not getting the regular playing time he anticipated.
“Promotion was the main goal for my move here,” Rothwell said, via the Daily Echo. “Thankfully, we’ve achieved that. The loan move didn’t go exactly as I would have liked. I tried to contribute whenever I could, and thankfully, we accomplished our goal in the end.”
Rothwell hinted at his future plans, indicating that he will soon discuss his next steps with Bournemouth.
“It’s very uncertain at the moment,” he added. “I have to go back to Bournemouth and will have conversations with them to see where I stand. For now, I’m not focused on that. We’ve just been promoted, so it’s time to celebrate for a few days. Then I’ll take a break with my family before returning. There haven’t been any immediate discussions. I’m just grateful the season ended as we hoped.”
Rothwell made 11 appearances for Bournemouth in the Premier League before his January move to St. Mary’s, including three starts. His contract runs until summer 2026, but Bournemouth might sell him this year to reduce their roster.
A move to Southampton for Joe Rothwell appears unlikely.
With Southampton’s promotion, it’s unlikely that Rothwell will sign permanently with the club.
While he was a valuable squad player for Martin’s team in the latter half of the season, he didn’t do enough to warrant a long-term deal.
A permanent move away from Bournemouth would be ideal for Rothwell at this point in his career, but he might need to stay in the Championship to get regular playing time.
Southampton will have more pressing transfer priorities than Rothwell, such as turning other loan deals into permanent ones, like retaining Flynn Downes for next season.
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