Paul Onuachu tipped to get 'another opportunity' at Southampton after loan move

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·24 November 2023

Paul Onuachu tipped to get 'another opportunity' at Southampton after loan move

Highlights

Southampton striker Paul Onuachu struggled to make an impact in the Premier League and was sent out on loan, but he's flourishing once again away from St Mary's.
There is an argument that Onuachu wasn't given enough chances for the Saints, and a return to the club next summer is a possibility.
Southampton invested a hefty amount of money in the striker, so they will be desperate for this to work out.

Southampton striker Paul Onuachu struggled to make an impact in his first few months at the club and was sent out on loan in the summer, and journalist Dean Jones has now explained to GIVEMESPORT that he could be given another opportunity at St Mary's Stadium in the future.

Onuachu moved to the Premier League to join the Saints in January 2023 for a fee of £18m from Belgian side Genk, as per Sky Sports. The towering forward failed to live up to his price tag in England's top flight and was unable to help the club avoid relegation to the Championship.

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After a lack of minutes with the Saints, Onuachu was sent out on loan during the summer transfer window, and he's started to find his goalscoring form once again. Although the 29-year-old struggled to make an impact when given the opportunity in a Southampton shirt, there's certainly an argument that he wasn't given enough chances to impress.

Although Russell Martin has Adam Armstrong, Che Adams, and Ross Stewart to choose from in terms of centre-forward options this season, Onuachu could have offered the Saints something a little different in attack. The Lagos-born striker stands at over two metres tall and would undoubtedly be one of the biggest players in the Championship if he remained with the club.

However, Martin's style of play is centred around keeping the ball on the floor, which doesn't play to Onuachu's strengths. Although, the Nigerian striker has proved this campaign that his spell at Southampton was an anomaly, scoring freely on loan at Trabzonspor this term.

Onuachu has scored goals everywhere he has played except in the Premier League with Southampton. Whether that's to do with the standard of division he's playing in or simply a blip in his career in England remains to be seen, but the Saints had to make a decision on the striker in the summer transfer window.

Reports in Turkey have suggested that Southampton could keep hold of Onuachu if they return to the Premier League next season. Trabzonspor are reportedly eyeing alternative options already in preparation for the 29-year-old's loan spell ending. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Saints give Onuachu another chance considering they invested £18m to bring him to England earlier this year.

Dean Jones update

Jones has suggested that despite not setting the world alight when first arriving at Southampton, he believes it was a good signing from the club at the time. The journalist adds that he hasn't been given enough of an opportunity at St Mary's, and he expects him to return to Southampton eventually, but he will have to hit the ground running. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"Yeah, I think it is a win-win. Onuachu obviously hasn't set the world on fire since landing at Saints, but I actually thought it was a good signing when they brought him in initially. I don't think he's really been given enough opportunity to show that he could crack it at Southampton. You could argue that that's not necessarily the club's fault. They've been in really bad times and they've been pretty desperate. They've had to try various things and they've had different managers. So he's kind of been a victim of that as well. But to see him go away now scoring goals, everyone's a winner from that point of view. I think that eventually he'll come back to Southampton and he will get another opportunity and just needs to hit the ground running when that happens."

Russell Martin will want to keep two key players

Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes were both signed on loan during the summer transfer window and have settled in nicely at St Mary's. The Southampton duo are perfectly suited to Martin's system, but there is no guarantee they are at the club for the long term.

Journalist Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT that Southampton want Downes and Harwood-Bellis to become part of the furniture, and he believes there is a good chance they will remain with the side beyond this campaign. However, securing promotion to the Premier League could be important, as both players won't want to be playing in England's second tier again.