Motherwell have announced the sale of club top scorer Kevin van Veen to Dutch side FC Groningen.
Van Veen returns to his homeland, with the Fir Park side receiving an undisclosed fee after agreeing terms on the sale.
Motherwell said that they could not make the player a contract offer that rivalled Groningen’s, and were not in a position to reject a significant fee for a player reaching the end of his existing deal.
The 31-year-old striker scored 29 times for the Steelmen to help them secure seventh place in the Premiership.
He scored in 11 successive games in the second half of the season to beat the post-war record set by former Celtic striker Mark Viduka and also break a Motherwell club record set by Hugh Ferguson that had stood for 103 years.
Van Veen, who had joined the club from Scunthorpe in 2019 was also nominated for Premiership Player of the Year.
The forward, who had one year left on his deal in Lanarkshire. had previously advised Motherwell they should cash in if an acceptable offer came in.
“Of course, we are disappointed to be losing a player of Kevin’s quality,” Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell said.
“His effort in my time here has been exceptional and I appreciate his hard work.
“I have a great relationship with Kevin and know how much he loved his time here. I sincerely hope he has a successful time with Groningen and wish him all the best.
“Now, we face a difficult task to replace Kevin but we are working very hard behind the scenes to take this club forward.”
Kevin van Veen said: “Leaving Motherwell has been a really difficult decision.
“From the day I arrived, I felt loved and I felt at home.
“It has been emotional and a privilege to feel the support from all the fans since day one. From having my own song, to the banners, this has been a special time of my life and I’ll never forget it.
“Breaking the records is one of my biggest accomplishments to date but more importantly, I hope in doing so, repaid the fans for their support.
“I’ll be following Motherwell from now on, every week, and I’ll look back fondly on my time here.
“Thanks for the memories and I’ll miss you all. I am in love….”
Motherwell had already moved to sign a replacement, recruiting Jon, who played on loan at Fir Park last season and scored once.
Having been here last season, I was really eager to come back again this season,” Obika told Motherwell’s website.
“I thrive when I work in a professional environment and feel that’s when I can get the best out of me. This club has high standards in abundance and I’m fully committed for the campaign ahead.
“There is a real feel-good factor at the club and I’m looking forward to trying to create a successful season together.”
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