Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony says centre-back Oscar Wallin has walked out on the club and indicated he will not return.
The 24-year-old Swede has been absent since the 2-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic on 16 August, with his unavailability initially recorded as a personal issue by head coach Darren Ferguson.
Hard Truth revelation and contract standoff
Speaking on his latest podcast appearance, MacAnthony said Wallin told the club on a matchday that he had left and did not intend to come back. The chairman added that the defender, who has returned to Sweden, has declined to terminate his contract and continues to draw his salary while the situation is assessed.
“Oscar informed us on a matchday a few weeks ago that he’d left and that he, potentially, didn’t want to come back. We reached out to Oscar’s agent to say we needed to talk and to ask him if he was ok and what we could do to help… Oscar came back to us to say he wasn’t coming back to the club.”
MacAnthony said Posh offered to reach an agreement before the transfer deadline to create salary-cap space, but claimed Wallin did not wish to do so. The club are understood to be clarifying their position before making any further comment.
From slow start to regular pick before sudden absence
Wallin joined Posh from Degerfors in August 2024 for a fee MacAnthony placed at around £150,000. The 1.91m centre-back initially struggled with the physical intensity of League One but settled during the second half of last season, forming a promising partnership with Sam Hughes and finishing the campaign on 45 appearances in all competitions.
Ferguson started Wallin in the first four fixtures of the new campaign, including the loss at Wigan, before the player’s disappearance from selection. The head coach had cited a personal issue as the reason for his absence while the club attempted to support the defender and establish next steps.
Writer’s View
Wallin’s situation leaves Peterborough assessing central-defensive depth as they navigate a heavy early-season schedule. The recruitment team strengthened in the summer, but a long-term absence or departure would alter squad balance and budget planning, particularly with the EFL Trophy title defence and league ambitions to manage.
For Wallin, a permanent exit would likely require agreement on contract terms or a move to a club willing to take on his deal. His progression from the Allsvenskan to English football suggested upside once adapted to tempo and duels. Any resolution will hinge on welfare considerations alongside the contractual realities highlighted by the chairman.
