Milton Keynes Dons have today announced that striker Rhys Healey has been sold to French club Toulouse.
Last season's top goalscorer with 12 in all competitions, Healey has joined the Ligue 2 club for an undisclosed fee, with negotiations taking place over the past few weeks.
The departure of Healey will undoubtedly change the Dons' plans ahead of the opening week of the 2020/21 season, with Carlton Morris, Sam Nombe and Joe Mason now the only strikers currently on the team's books.
Rumours surrounding Healey's future at the club had grown in recent weeks, with the likes of Rotherham United and Bristol Rovers all purportedly interested in his services.
The news of his move to the south of France will come as a shock to many and will be a bitter blow for the club.
Speaking of Healey's departure, manager Russell Martin commented: “We’re disappointed to lose Rhys, he was obviously a huge player for us in the months leading up to the lockdown, so I understand the frustration this news will bring – we feel it too."
"We didn’t have to sell Rhys in this window and we certainly didn’t want to either, but the interest from Toulouse intensified over the last few weeks to the point where he expressed that he saw his future in the south of France."
"We then worked hard, as a Club and with the player, to get a deal that was much improved on their initial offer."
He added: "Rhys is an ambitious young man and I'm sure he won't mind me saying that this is a life-changing move for him."
"As a Club, we want to do right by our players, and he certainly leaves on positive terms and with all our very best wishes."
"What we’re building isn’t about one player, it’s about an ethos that runs through the squad. This presents a new challenge for us but part of our thorough recruitment process is succession planning and that’s what we’re focused on now."
He concluded: "It’s up to us, over the next few weeks, to make sure we continue building a squad that the fans will enjoy watching here at Stadium MK. We are relishing that challenge and are looking forward to the start of the season."
