Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell has admitted that he is unsure as to what the future holds for him after spending the second half of this season on loan at Southampton.
Having now secured a return to the Premier League, The Saints are going to need to make decisions on a number of their key players with one of those being the loanee. The club are already reportedly looking to make some of the loan deals they made this campaign permanent.
Although, there is no current indication that Rothwell will find himself in a similar situation. The 29-year-old joined the club in the January transfer window from Premier League side Bournemouth, going on to make 16 appearances and score four goals during his time at the club.
However, despite those statistics pointing to this being a reasonably successful loan spell, his lack of starts has led the former-Manchester United youth prodigy to admit his disappointment that his time at St Mary’s did not go as well as he would have hoped,
Speaking to the Southern Daily Echo, Rothwell discussed his future at either South Coast club.
“I think it’s very much up in the air. I’ve obviously got to go back to Bournemouth. I will have conversations with them and see where they see me. We will take it from there really. I’m not thinking about that. We have just got promoted so it’s time to enjoy it for the next couple of days.”
The Englishman joined the Cherries on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 following the expiration of his deal at Ewood Park, which was where he arguably played his best football. Appearing 161 times for the club, he made a name for himself as a highly competent Championship midfielder, which helped him earn the move into the top flight to Bournemouth. Time will now tell as to where his career takes him next.
Writer’s View
After failing to earn the regular playing time that he was hoping for on loan, it seems unlikely that Rothwell will be returning to the Vitality Stadium as a consistent Premier League starter, especially following the impressive season his parent club have just had under Spaniard Andoni Iraola.
Therefore, it seems the best option for all parties is for a transfer to happen this window, and with his impressive experience, the midfielder is unlikely to be short of suitors from the second tier, with Blackburn themselves potentially being a destination.
