Kamaldeen Sulemana form will be 'frustrating to Russell Martin' at Southampton

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·3 December 2023

Kamaldeen Sulemana form will be 'frustrating to Russell Martin' at Southampton

Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has found it difficult to produce consistently since arriving in England, and journalist Dean Jones has explained to GIVEMESPORT why Russell Martin might be growing increasingly frustrated with the young talent.

With the Saints cemented in the relegation zone in January of this year, the club opted to spend £22m on then-20-year-old Sulemana from Rennes, as per Sky Sports. It was a huge risk from Southampton considering Sulemana was a young player still learning his game and then having to adapt to a new country and the Premier League. Ultimately, he couldn't help the side from being relegated to the Championship.

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In the summer, Sulemana stuck around despite actively pushing for a departure, and he's failed to produce in front of goal under Martin in England's second tier. Failing to get a move could be playing on his mind, but there's no doubt Martin will be expecting more from a young winger.

Sulemana wanted to leave Southampton

The Ghanaian winger was undoubtedly attracted to Southampton due to the prospect of playing in the Premier League, despite the south coast club being in the relegation zone at the time. Being demoted to the Championship will have been a huge disappointment for the winger, and a departure looked like it could happen late in the summer transfer window.

Everton were working on a last-minute to try and prise Sulemana away from St Mary's Stadium after failing to beat Southampton to his signature in January. The Toffees were unable to meet the Saints' £30m price tag, and it's no surprise that Martin's side were pushing for a hefty fee. Sulemana had four years left on his contract in the summer, meaning Southampton held all the cards in negotiations.

With Southampton playing hardball, Sulemana handed in a transfer request on 30th August, per The Athletic, but the former Rennes forward remained at the club. Sulemana has started nine games in the Championship so far this season, but is yet to score in the second tier of English football. It's been a disappointing and inconsistent start to life at the Saints, and Martin will undoubtedly be frustrated.

Speaking after Southampton's victory over Bristol City in the week, Martin confirmed that it looks like Sulemana has picked up a significant injury, which despite a lack of minutes, could be a huge blow...

"It looks like a significant one so we'll scan it and hopefully it's not as bad as we fear it is. That is one real disappointment today."

Dean Jones verdict

Jones has suggested that Sulemana, who is earning £40k-a-week at St Mary's, needs to start producing more frequently, and that's what is most frustrating for Martin. The journalist adds that if he becomes available for transfer in the near future, clubs will be lining up to secure his signature. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"He's got to try his best because he knows he's got a special talent here. I know the stats aren't necessarily backing it up at the moment but he is one of the best players in this team. If he became available for transfer, there would be loads of clubs queuing up to take him. He's got that edge about him. It just needs to be seen more frequently and that's probably what's frustrating to Russell Martin. The fact that he's got so much potential, but at the moment, you look at his stats, and there's nothing there to show for it. So that's frustrating. There's a special player in there, but Saints need to see the best version of it. Maybe it's a case of patience, but I'm not sure how much time there is going to be there, because Saints want to get back at the first attempt."

Russell Martin will be fighting to keep hold of players in January

Whether Sulemana pushes for a move in January remains to be seen, but he might not be the only player seeking a transfer. Although Southampton have a chance of gaining promotion, some of Martin's squad could be looking for a quicker route back to a top league.

Che Adams is out of contract next summer, so Southampton may have to cash in to avoid him leaving on a free. As per BBC, Everton were among the sides pushing to sign him in the summer. Kyle Walker-Peters could also have interest, with Fulham, Lens, and Roma all considering a move in the previous window.