Southampton FC exit claim made on player Ivan Juric "really believed in" - he could move on this summer | OneFootball

FLW's resident Southampton fan pundit has discussed reported interest in tricky wide-man Kamaldeen Sulemana from ex-Saints boss Ivan Juric at Atalanta

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…

Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana could be poised to leave the south coast side this summer, with the Saints sure to sanction a number of high-profile sales in a bid to balance the books following relegation back to the Championship.

Sulemana became Southampton's club-record signing when he arrived in a hotly-anticipated £22 million move from French outfit Stade Rennais in January 2023, but he has endured a mixed spell at the St Mary's Stadium.

Southampton were relegated from the Premier League just five months after Sulemana's arrival. The 20-cap Ghanaian international stuck around for a season in the Championship under Russell Martin as the Saints achieved promotion at the first attempt via the play-offs, although he failed to find the back of the net from 25 outings.

Sulemana was once again relegated from the top-flight with the Saints last season in a historically dismal campaign for the club, and while he did display fleeting signs of promise - notably tormenting Manchester United defender Leny Yoro in his side's 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford back in January - the tricky winger has struggled to live up to his price tag and continually divides opinion with his lack of end product, scoring just four times in 74 appearances overall since moving to England.

He was, however, a firm favourite of former boss Ivan Juric, who has since been succeeded by new head coach Will Still, and the Croatian is reportedly looking to reunite with Sulemana after taking the job at Serie A side Atalanta.

According to a recent report by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, contact has been made between Atalanta and Southampton over a potential move for Sulemana.

Southampton, of course, will need to shift a handful of big names from their squad in the coming weeks and months as Still prepares to get his feet under the table and navigate the choppy waters of natural post-relegation cost-cutting exercises, and Sulemana is just one of those who could be on his way out of Hampshire.

Exit claim made on Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana amid Atalanta, Ivan Juric transfer interest

FLW asked our resident Southampton fan pundit, Martin Sanders, whether he would be happy if the Saints decided to cash in on Sulemana this summer.

Martin conceded that the 23-year-old has "never lived up to expectations" at Southampton, and described his shortcomings with both consistency and a final ball infront of goal.

"Our club record signing Kamaldeen Sulemena has never lived up to any of the expectations we all had of him," Martin told FLW.

"Club-record signing failed to really deliver. He's got loads of pace, loads of power. Theo Walcott said when he trained with him, he's the fastest player he's ever faced.

"He's quick, but his end product is really, really poor and lets him down. He was really out of favour under Russell Martin, Ivan Juric came in and really believed in him.

"He got a lot of game-time in the back-end of the season, his standout performance in a Saints shirt was against Man United at Old Trafford. If he could deliver that performance week-in, week-out, he would've been a real asset but his end product is just not good enough.

"He's a little bit like a rabbit in the headlights at times when he gets infront of goal, he panics. Off the field, it's probably worth noting that he won the club's award for the player that does the most in the community, so he's put a lot into the community but it's just not worked out for him."

Kamaldeen Sulemana's estimated Southampton FC wage amid Atalanta, Ivan Juric transfer interest

The winger put pen to paper on a bumper four-and-a-half-year contract when he joined Southampton back in 2023, and he's still only halfway through that deal with another two years yet to run.

Sulemana's contract length, coupled with the sizable fee which was shelled out for his signature, means that Southampton will likely be holding out for a fairly-handsome sum in order to part ways, perhaps one in the eight-figure region.

The Saints attacker will also command a hefty salary, though, and is estimated by Capology to be collecting a weekly wage of £40,000 with his current side. Southampton may not be able to accommodate that wage in the Championship, and a summer exit could be the best outcome for all parties.