Leicester City will not offer Joe Aribo a permanent contract this summer, leaving the midfielder as a free agent.
The Foxes loaned in the former Rangers man from Southampton in the January window in their bid to avoid the drop, but struggled for game time with just six appearances to his name following the switch.
Aribo Hits Free Agency Market
With his contract at the Saints expiring and showing no signs of being renewed, attention turned as to whether he could tie down a permanent switch to the East Midlands ahead of their second ever campaign in the third tier.
However, according to All Nigeria Soccer, negotiations over a deal have collapsed, and Aribo will now head into the summer without a club.
It is reported that while the Foxes had held initial talks over a permanent contract, the holding midfielder was not willing to play in League One next season and will instead look for other options.
Aribo has previous experience in the third tier, playing for Charlton Athletic for three seasons in the competition before Scottish giants Rangers poached him on a four-year contract which cost the Ibrox side £300,000.
Big Gamble To Make
Joe Aribo was not well fancied during his limited spell at Leicester City, earning only six appearances to his name at the club and just one of which was as a starter in his debut against Birmingham City.
He entered a tough situation at the King Power, with Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Hamza Choudhury all vying for game time in the middle of the pitch and having much less Premier League experience than the trio.
Now, with the Foxes bound for League One, instead of trying to stake a claim to a starting spot amid an inevitable player exodus and a hunt for a new permanent manager, Aribo has instead opted to walk away and try to find a move elsewhere.
It has been a disastrous season for his stock as a player, having been relegated to a substitute at Southampton under Will Still, and found himself in the same position when making the switch to Leicester.
Nevertheless, given his previous experience and performance levels while in the second tier and in the Scottish Premiership, a few sides may fancy taking a punt on the defensive midfielder.
A former club in Charlton Athletic might make an ideal location, with Nathan Jones in need of a new six in his lineup as Conor Coady heads back to Wrexham.
Leicester Will Not Feel Loss
Given they have reportedly tried to keep him at the club, it may be somewhat of a disappointment that Leicester City have not convinced Joe Aribo to stick around next season.
He would have been a great player at the League One level, given his prior experience, and as a free agent, a deal with him leaving Southampton would have been a great deal to make considering the financial worries surrounding the Foxes.
Whoever takes charge of the club should not be too gutted about the failure to sign the midfielder as their loanee prospects now come into the fore, most notably Sammy Braybrooke, who is surely ready to take the step up to League One after impressive spells at Newport County and Chesterfield.
Alongside a fellow emerging star in Louis Page, City should have a solid pair in the middle of the pitch regardless of the futures of Skipp, Winks and Choudhury.
