Southampton might 'struggle' to keep £22m forward at St Mary's | OneFootball

Southampton may find it difficult to keep hold of Kamaldeen Sulemana in the summer transfer window, journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

The 21-year-old hasn't been at the club long, but he would have been dreaming of a move to the Premier League and not the Championship.

Sulemana signed for Southampton for a club-record fee of £22m in the January transfer window, according to talkSPORT.

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The Ghanaian winger signed on deadline day, with the Saints in a difficult position in the Premier League.

Despite being a talented winger, in hindsight, it might not be the best signing for a side looking to stay in the division.

Sulemana had played less than 100 games in his career before moving to England, according to Transfermarkt, so to expect him to make an instant impact is probably a little unfair.

The Saints also brought in Mislav Orsic and Paul Onuachu in the January window to try and add more firepower to their attack, but all three players have a combined 11 Premier League starts, as per FBref.

Southampton are rock-bottom of the table, four points adrift, so clearly the recruitment in the winter hasn't worked out so far.

If the worst does happen and Ruben Selles' side are relegated, they may have to accept that some of their players will be looking to leave the club, including Sulemana.

What has Jones said about Sulemana?

Jones has suggested that it could be difficult for the Saints to keep hold of Sulemana in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Not all of them will leave. I imagine Sulemana might be tricky to keep. He might be the one they struggle to convince to stay at the club."

How has Sulemana performed this season?

The 21-year-old has been given more of an opportunity than the aforementioned winter signings at St Mary's, starting eight Premier League games, according to FBref.

However, the former FC Nordsjælland forward is yet to score or provide an assist in Southampton colours.

Sulemana has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.55 in the Premier League this campaign, ranking him 27th in the Saints squad.

Overall, it's been a difficult start for Sulemana in England, but it's completely understandable considering his age.

Whether another club would be willing to take a gamble on him remains to be seen, but he's certainly an exciting young talent with huge potential.