Healey 'saw his future in the south of France' after initial Toulouse bid

Russell Martin admitted he could not stand in Rhys Healey's way after the striker heard of interest from French Ligue 2 side Toulouse.

The 25-year-old departs for the south of France as Dons' top-scorer last season, for what the Citizen understands to be a lucrative contract.

With a little under a week to go before the new season kicks off, Dons boss Martin said he was disappointed to lose the striker, however the deal was too good for both Dons and Healey himself to turn down.

“We’re disappointed to lose Rhys,” Martin told mkdons.com. “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.

“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.”

Martin added: “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.

“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.”