Southampton set for potential transfer u-turn on 29-year-old | OneFootball

It seems that striker Paul Onuachu may yet have a future at Southampton from next season.

That's after a report from Turkish outlet Gunebakis, who say that the Saints are considering keeping the 29-year-old if they win promotion this season.

Onuachu joined Southampton back in the 2023 January transfer window, when he joined from Belgian side Genk for a reported £18million.

However, the Nigeria international failed to score in 11 league appearances for the club as they were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship in the second half of the previous campaign.

The striker was then subsequently loaned out in last summer's transfer window as he was seemingly not in Russell Martin's plans - not suiting the head coach's style of play. That deal saw him move to Türkiye, where he joined Trabzonspor on a temporary deal until the end of the season.

Now though, it seems there could yet be a twist when it comes to what might be next for Onuachu at St Mary's.

Southampton considering retaining Paul Onuachu for 2024-25 season

Since making that move to the Turkish Super Lig, Onuachu has thrived for Trabzonspor. In total, he has scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 22 appearances in all competitions for the Trabzon-based outfit.

As a result, it appears Southampton are weighing up their options over what to do with the 29-year-old once the summer transfer window opens.

According to this latest update, the Saints are now considering keeping Onuachu as part of Russell Martin's side for next season, but only if they win promotion to the Premier League.

However, it is suggested that if they do not win promotion, they will likely either sell the striker or loan him out again, before the transfer window closes.

As things stand, there are just over two years remaining on Onuachu's contract at St Mary's, securing his future with Southampton until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Having finished fourth in the regular Championship season, the Saints are now set to compete for promotion via the play-offs.

They begin that campaign with a trip to The Hawthorns to face West Brom on Sunday afternoon in the first leg of their semi-final.

If they are victorious against the Baggies, they will meet the winners of the other semi-final between Leeds United and Norwich City in the final towards the end of the month.

Paul Onuachu return could be a gamble for Southampton

There is an argument that the Saints would be taking something of a risk by keeping Onuachu for next season if they are promoted to the Premier League.

With Che Adams out of contract and seemingly set to leave in the summer, there is a good chance that Southampton will need to add a new striker to their squad before next season.

Meanwhile, Onauchu's record in Turkey is certainly impressive, which could potentially make him an appealing option to fill that role without having to pay a transfer fee.

However, it should be remember that the striker also had a good record in Belgium prior to his first move to Southampton.

That though, was unable to prevent from struggling to settle at St Mary's and make an impact on the pitch.

As a result, there would be no guarantee that things would be different this time around, so it would be a risk to rely on him to lead in the Premier League again, should Southampton get there.

Indeed, bringing in a new option, as they ought to have funds to do if promoted, would also send out more of a statement of intent to the club's fanbase.

So with that in mind, it would feel like something of a surprise if Onuachu is back at Southampton next season, even if they area Premier League club.