Southampton’s track record in transfer windows gone by leaves a lot to be desired, namely the January 2023 disaster.
Since suffering relegation to the Championship, The Saints have been forced to be more shrewd in their approach to transfers.
And that has certainly paid off, with the fabulous additions of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, David Brooks and Flynn Downes to list a few.
Southampton have outlaid £18m in the two windows gone by, which is the same amount of money they spent on Paul Onuachu‘s signature from Genk.
The towering Nigerian centre-forward joined the South Coasters in January 2023 during Nathan Jones’ tenure and has made just 12 appearances for the club since, failing to net or assist.
Paul Onuachu signing dubbed a ‘mental decision’
Onuachu now plies his trade in Turkey with Trabzonspor, on loan from Southampton. The 29-year-old is due to return to St Mary’s at the end of the season.
Speaking on the Total Saints Podcast, Daily Echo journalist Alfie House issued a damning verdict on the signing.
“That was a huge mistake obviously, it doesn’t take a genius to work that one out. To bring all those players in to play a certain way and then sack the manager two weeks later, probably because he got himself sacked really in the press, I just thought it was a mental decision.”
With Adam Armstrong and Che Adams currently operating as Saints’ focal point, it seems as though Onuachu will have to move on again following his loan spell.
The 21-cap international is under contract with Southampton until June 2026, so they’ll still be able to recoup a decent fee.
Onuachu has netted nine times in 17 league outings for Trabzonspor, which is a commendable return, so perhaps they’ll be willing to sign him on a permanent deal.
Southampton must learn their lesson
Signing a forward to suit the playstyle of Jones to then sack him shortly after was a bonkers decision by the Southampton hierarchy.
So they must learn their lesson and have complete confidence in their manager before allowing him to outlay a substantial amount on transfers.
Further, the club must look to avoid spending big on unproven talent, particularly if they remain a Championship club next season.
Placing greater emphasis on a meticulous scouting network should be a top priority as should continuing in their traditional model of giving young talent a platform to develop, Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento being the prime example in recent years.