Justin Bijlow’s failed move to Southampton this summer continues to have repercussions as the player is stuck on the bench at Feyenoord and miserable.
That’s led to increased speculation about what went on with Southampton this summer and a belief from some, namely journalist Martijn Krabbendam, that everything was not above board.
Soccer News cover comments from him today on the matter as Bijlow remains number two at Feyenoord for the time being.
The Dutch goalkeeper had been keen to leave this summer after falling down the pecking order and appeared to have got his wish when Southampton came calling.
They were on the verge of completing a deal for him, with Bijlow undergoing a medical, before eventually pulling out entirely and signing Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal.
Bijlow publically revealed what had gone on not long after, explaining that he and Southampton had disagreed over the treatment he’d received on two previous wrist injuries and that had led to the deal being cancelled last minute.
This was later disputed and debated in the Netherlands, where there has been a general refusal to accept Southampton’s side of events. Indeed, there is almost widespread acceptance that Bijlow may have been used as a pawn in order to get Ramsdale instead.
Krabbendam certainly believes so and isn’t afraid to say as much when discussing the topic on Today Inside.
“Of course he is not happy on the bench,” he said.
“I’m not saying that his career has been ruined, because of course he remains an excellent goalkeeper. That inspection at Southampton makes other clubs think he has something wrong with him.
“Which is actually very sad, because he would have simply passed the inspection at any other club. He’s just a great goalkeeper.
“That’s (the cancellation) very strange. He had that inspection there and they saw something on his wrist that made them say: no, we’re not going to do it. He hadn’t even gotten on the plane yet when the other guy (Aaron Ramsdale) showed up, so you get the feeling that something else was going on there. That is to the detriment of this boy.”
