Ross County have cut short Kazeem Olaigbe’s season-long loan deal from Southampton.
Winger Olaigbe was due to be at Victoria Park until the summer, however, the clubs have agreed he will return to St Mary’s after just six months of his temporary deal.
He will now join English League Two outfit Harrogate Town for the remainder of the campaign.
The 20-year-old made 25 appearances for the Staggies after joining last summer, albeit only nine from the start.
Kazeem Olaigbe has today returned to Southampton FC after spending the first half of the campaign here in Dingwall.
We wish Kazeem all the best going forward.
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) January 31, 2023
Hopes were high for Belgian under-19 international Olaigbe, who was nominated for the Premier League 2 player of the year award last season after netting 12 goals in 23 appearances for Saints’ under-23s side.
His County career got off to a promising start when he came off the bench to net twice in a 7-0 victory over East Fife in the group stage of the League Cup in July.
Olaigbe has been unable to hold down a sustained place in Mackay’s team, however, and will now return to his parent club.
After Saturday’s 3-0 win over Kilmarnock – for which Olaigbe was dropped from the squad – Mackay indicated he had fallen short of his demands.
Mackay said: “He wasn’t picked. I want people that are absolutely going to lay their body on the line, and at the moment I have not seen enough there.”
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