Sunderland AFC confirms that Ross Stewart has joined Southampton.
The striker moves to St Mary's for an undisclosed fee, bringing an end to a two-and-a-half-year spell on Wearside.
After moving to the Stadium of Light in January 2021 from Ross County, Stewart fired the Black Cats to promotion in his first full season at the Club.
A 26-goal haul included a host of memorable strikes, with his defining moment in red and white coming at Wembley Stadium in May 2022 when he scored the Club's second in an unforgettable Play-Off final victory over Wycombe Wanderers.
Despite an injury disrupted 2022-23 campaign, Stewart ended his final season on Wearside with an impressive total of 10 goals in 13 Sky Bet Championship appearances.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said: "Ross has made a significant contribution in his time with us and I know many of our supporters will be sad to see him depart for this new challenge. Despite a lot of outside noise suggesting otherwise, Ross has always conducted himself professionally on and off the pitch and I know that he would have wanted to contribute more in the last 12 months. Although it was not our preferred choice, Ross indicated that he saw his future away from Wearside and from that moment onwards, we have worked to ensure we protect the Club in the best possible way. We thank him for his contribution and wish him well.”
All at SAFC echo Kristjaan’s sentiments and we wish Ross well during the next chapter of his career.