Men’s retained list published for 2026
Following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, we can confirm the Men’s First Team players departing upon the expiry of their contracts.
Oriol Romeu, Will Smallbone, Ross Stewart, Alex McCarthy, Joe Aribo, Jamie Jones, Charlie Taylor and Elias Jelert, whose loan has expired, will all depart this summer.
Having returned to the club for a second spell in November 2025, Oriol Romeu will end his time as a Southampton player at the end of this month.
The Spaniard departs with a memorable legacy, playing an integral part in the club’s best ever Premier League finish in 2016, qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League that same season and reaching the EFL Cup final in 2017, where he also collected the Fans’ and Players’ Player of the Season awards.
Romeu made seven appearances in 2025/26, taking his total appearances for the club up to 263.
A Saint since the age of eight, Will Smallbone will also leave to end an 18-year association with the club.
Making 90 appearances in red and white, the Academy graduate most notably scored the opening goal in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg win over West Brom in 2024, going on to win promotion back to the Premier League at Wembley.
A fellow promotion winner in 2024, striker Ross Stewart will leave after featuring 33 times in 2025/26, finding the net on 11 occasions.
An option to extend the Scotsman’s contract was not agreed and Stewart will depart having made 50 appearances in total, scoring 12 goals.
Also ending a chapter at St Mary’s is goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who will depart after 10 years.
Spending the last 10 seasons on the south coast, making 165 appearances, the 36-year-old was also a promotion winner at Wembley in 2024, keeping clean sheets in both the semi-final first leg and final.
Earning a senior England cap during his time as a Saint, McCarthy made 129 Premier League appearances for the club, more than any other goalkeeper over the last decade.
A fourth 2024 promotion winner to leave, Joe Aribo’s four-year stay at the club will also come to an end.
Amassing 111 appearances in total, the Nigeria international appeared 40 times in 2023/24, scoring on four occasions to lift the club back to the top flight.
The club would like to place on record its gratitude for the effort and commitment shown by Oriol, Will, Ross, Alex, Joe, Jamie, Charlie and Elias during their time as Saints, and wish them all the best for what comes next in their careers.
Outside of the current First Team squad, the club has also confirmed the following players on professional contracts will leave this summer: Will Armitage, Sonnie Davis, Hugo Fisher, Will Merry, and Sam Tabares.
We would like to express our thanks to each of those players and wish them well for the future.
