"Bite their hand off" - Southampton transfer claim issued as 7-figure Paul Onuachu agreement nears | OneFootball

FLW's Southampton fan pundit has given his verdict on Paul Onuachu's impending exit from St. Mary's

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Paul Onuachu is closing in on his departure from Southampton after an agreement with Trabzonspor was reached.

It was reported by Fabrizio Romano last week that the Saints have come to terms on an €8 million (£6.9 million) deal to sell the towering striker to the Turkish outfit, who had him on loan during the 2023-24 season.

The 31-year-old arrived at St Mary’s in a deal worth a reported £18 million during the 2023 January transfer window from Belgian outfit Genk.

However, he has struggled for the Saints, scoring four league goals in total during his season-and-a-half at the club.

Paul Onuachu transfer claim made as Southampton set to sell £18m striker

When asked about the sale and fee, FLW’s Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders claimed he’s happy the club have cashed in.

He believes the player isn’t good enough for the Championship, let alone the Premier League, and that he’s relieved they have been able to get any kind of fee for him.

“He’s had a pretty disastrous time, if I’m honest,” Sanders told Football League World.

“He’s not been a good signing at all.

“He cost Southampton a lot of money a good few years ago, and he’s cost Southampton £4.5 million per goal.

“A few pretty incredible step-overs, been loaned out, never been able to make an impact, not a Premier League player and I don’t think he would’ve been a Championship player either, to be quite honest.

“If Saints can capture €8 million for him from Trabzonspor, fair play, I’d absolutely bite their hand off, get rid, move on and bring a striker in that’s going to score goals at this level.

“Onuachu certainly not good enough for the Premier League or the Championship, in my opinion.”

Onuachu featured 25 times in the Premier League last season, starting on 11 occasions, contributing four goals and one assist.

Paul Onuachu sale is for the best for Southampton - Will Still can re-invest in more suitable players

The signing of Onuachu was made in a bid to help Southampton stay in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign, which didn’t turn out as planned.

The team came 20th in the table and suffered relegation to the Championship, and that led to his loan move to Trabzonspor, with the 6ft 7in centre-forward not fitting into the style of play that Russell Martin wanted to play.

Promotion in 2024 led to him returning, but his performances in the Premier League simply weren’t good enough - especially for the transfer outlay.

Maybe he could’ve scored goals in the Championship if given the chance, but cashing in now and getting rid is the best move for all parties at this stage, especially as playing with Onuachu only leads to one style of play, and that's going direct or putting lots of crosses into the box.

Will Still will likely want to play a more expansive style, and getting a seven-figure fee for Onuachu will allow the new manager to re-invest and bring in a more suitable attacker.