Super Eagles duo, Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu’s relegation along with Southampton, was confirmed yesterday following the 2-0 defeat they suffered to Fulham. After 36 games, Southampton only amassed 24 points, which is the least by any club and conceded the most goals (35).
During their 11 years of stay in the top flight, Southampton introduced a few great players like Sadio Mané, Virgil Van Dijk, Tusan Tadic, Dejan Lovren etc. These players left the club for other great clubs.
Onuachu since joining the Saint from Genk in a deal of around €18m during the January transfer made 11 appearances with zero goals contributions.
Aribo moved to Southampton during the 2022 summer transfer from Rangers for a deal worth €7.10m and has since then had rollercoaster campaign with the Saints.
All other Nigerian players aside from Frank Onyeka are currently in relegation threatened clubs in the English Premier League.
A message from the club owners after the confirmation of their relegation:
“Today is a hugely disappointing day for everyone associated with Southampton Football Club. We have fought tirelessly as a club throughout the season, but the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world, and our results were simply not good enough to stay there.
We are particularly saddened and frustrated that our first season as controlling shareholders in Southampton Football Club has ended in relegation. While this outcome is distressing for all of us, now is the time to demonstrate unity. We are grateful to our managers, our players, our staff, and above all our fans for battling to the end to keep the Saints in the top tier.
Our work begins today to return Southampton Football Club – an inaugural member of the Premier League with a rich history – to where it belongs. We want to reassure our supporters, our partners, and our staff that we remain fully committed to achieving long-term success for the club at the top level.
We must now reflect on the lessons to be learned from this season and start preparing for the challenges ahead of us in the Championship. Our goal is to return to the Premier League as soon as possible and ensure that we stay there.
At the same time, we will continue to focus on the long-term development of the club, both on and off the pitch, to ensure its sustainability at the highest level.
We understand that significant improvement is required, and at the end of the season, we will announce our immediate next steps and provide details of how the club will operate moving forward.
We cannot thank our fans enough for the fantastic support they have given the team throughout the season. Your commitment to the club is an inspiration and one of the foundations that will support Southampton’s return to the top flight.”
