Southampton: £22m star could bring 'something special' to St Mary's

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·8 September 2023

Southampton: £22m star could bring 'something special' to St Mary's

Southampton have struggled at times this season, but journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that introducing Kamaldeen Sulemana to the side could help turn things around for one main reason.

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Although the Saints have picked up points, they've often left it late to secure a victory, and their latest Championship fixture was a complete disaster.

Southampton news - Kamaldeen Sulemana

Sulemana signed for Southampton last season during the January transfer window, with the south coast club paying around £21m to French side Rennes, as per The Athletic. The Ghanaian winger failed to make a big impact in his first few months at the club, with the Saints suffering relegation to the Championship.

It's been a busy summer for Sulemana off the pitch, with Everton pushing to bring him back to the Premier League. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano told GIVEMESPORT that Sulemana was an option for the Toffees in the final few days of the transfer window. Elsewhere, it was also reported that Sulemana had told Southampton that he wanted to leave before the window slammed shut last week, but a move failed to materialise.

The young winger is yet to make an appearance for the Saints this season, and with the transfer window now closed, it could be time for Russell Martin to unleash the speedy star. When Theo Walcott, who was known for being one of the quickest players to have ever graced the Premier League, named Sulemana as the fastest player he had ever played with, you know he's going to be a nightmare for defenders...

“Recently, at Southampton, Sulemana. He’s so quick. I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s really quick."

Sulemana could be the man to turn things around for Southampton - Dean Jones

Although the Saints have won a few games in the Championship this season, fixtures against Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth saw them leave it late to secure three points, whilst they also conceded four times against Norwich City and five times without reply to Sunderland most recently. There is certainly room for improvement, and Sulemana could be the man to guide them in the right direction, especially with Nathan Tella departing in the transfer window.

Journalist Jones has claimed that after hearing Walcott's comments on Sulemana, you know he's got something special about him. The reporter adds that this may now be a perfect opportunity for Sulemana, who could do extremely well in the Championship. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"If Theo Walcott is picking out somebody for pace then you've got to back what he's saying and believe that he's got something special about him. I do think Southampton need to offer something different against Leicester City. We've seen the struggles that Saints have had so far and this is going to be the opportunity to make a big impact early on in the season and get things right again. I feel like Sulemana, now that the transfer window has passed, will get his mind right. He's actually a player that can do really well in this division as well. If they can find a way to get him over the top and in behind, then this could be a perfect opportunity for him."

We're yet to see the exciting, direct winger that was so impressive for Rennes in Ligue 1 during his final full season in France in a Saints shirt. It's been an underwhelming start to life in England, and Martin will be hoping he can reignite the form he produced in Europe.

Is Sulemana the best player in the Championship?

There's certainly an argument that with the right coaching, mindset, and application, Sulemana is Southampton's most exciting, talented player. The south coast club broke their transfer record to sign him for a reason.

In terms of raw talent, Sulemana could be in the conversation for the best in the league, but it's some tough competition. The likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Jack Clarke, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Cesare Casadei, to name a few, could also be contenders, but Southampton fans will have to hope that he can focus solely on the Saints after expressing his desire to leave the club.