Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Duje Caleta-Car have faced Ligue 1 relegation with Lyon due to the club's financial difficulties.
It's been close to two weeks since Southampton heard about former Saint, Duje Caleta-Car's return possibility in the Premier League. Fast forward to now, the defender's Sunderland switch isn't close, but recently, there have been more worries for the Croatian than this halted move.
Not long away tipped for another golden Top Flight opportunity, fate has been quite harsh on Caleta-Car who looks set for a second division run.
Recently, transfer Expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that having breached financial regulations, Lyon has been demoted. Romano quoted: "Olympique Lyon have been relegated to Ligue 2. The club has the possibility to appeal the decision."
Ex-Saints duo left stunned with shocking relegation news
Well, what's further intriguing is that Caleta-Car isn't the only ex-Saint undergoing this decision. He is accompanied by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, too.
Now, to remember, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Caleta-Car were both part of the Southampton roster that saw a harsh relegation in 2022/23. Yet, despite ending on the same fate that season, Saints fans hold contrasting perspectives of the duo.
That's because, while Caleta-Car was by far a Saints flop, Maitland Niles was one of the club's silent heroes that season. Combining with Walker-Peters on the other flank, the Arsenal star played a part in Southampton pulling off some crucial wins to avoid a humiliating total ultimately.
That's why, while the fans would be upset for Caleta-Car too, St. Mary's feels genuinely concerned for Maitland Niles, whose future lies in jeopardy at the moment.
Honestly, given his recent form, none can deny that Maitland Niles has an out-and-out opportunity to switch sides this summer. But the question is will he exercise this right? A likely answer is no.
Having spent more than a decade at Arsenal, despite getting limited opportunities, the 27-year-old might want to see a promotion fightback with Lyon where he has been trusted more often than anywhere else.
Overall, as of now, both Caleta-Car and Maitland-Niles are tipped to feature in the Ligue 2 as the club hopes to come back to the Top Flight. Hopefully, it happens that way too.