Southampton’s record signing went off injured in the 35th minute in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Bristol City, with Russell Martin fearing the 21-year-old could be set for a lengthy absence.
Kamaldeen Sulemana has become increasingly influential as the season has gathered momentum, with his three assists only telling part of the story. His pace terrifies defences and it was obvious from the first whistle that Bristol City defenders were doubling up on the Ghanaian, which freed up space for his teammates.
Martin will be very concerned about being without the winger for a prolonged period of time, confirming to the Daily Echo after the game that: “It looks like a significant one.”
The Southampton boss went on to say: “We will scan it and hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it is. That is one of the big disappointments from tonight.”
Sulemana’s absence may be an insight into the near future, as even if he is fit by January he is expected to be a transfer target for a number of sides. With that in mind, we look at three players who could fill the void left by Sulemana.
Has Kamaldeen Sulemana’s replacement already been identified?
Despite only signing for the Saints in January, Sulemana was linked with a number of clubs in the summer following relegation from the Premier League. On that basis, it would not come as a surprise if Southampton have already drawn up a shortlist of potential replacement’s for the youngster.
Patrick Roberts is one such player and, given the summer links of a move to St Mary’s, the Sunderland winger is likely to be near the top of any list of targets.
Going off this season alone, Roberts’ form has not been particularly impressive with no goals and just one assists in 16 Championship appearances. However, if you look back at last season, Roberts was a standout performer in England’s second division; his five goals and seven assists in the Championship coming in a campaign that saw his creativity help steer Sunderland into the play-offs.
Whilst Roberts does tend to play wide, he does prefer to play from the right rather than the left-wing position that Sulemana prefers. This allows the ex-Manchester City player to cut in on his cultured left-foot and wreak havoc for opposition defenders. This may not be a problem as Southampton don’t have a regular solution on that side, with Adam Armstrong or Carlos Alcaraz both often being deployed on the right despite not being natural wingers.
Could Sulemana’s replacement be in Europe?
If Southampton wanted to look a little more left-field in their pursuit of a Sulemana replacement then perhaps they should look to Europe; more specifically Belgium.
Whilst this may not exactly be music to Southampton fans’ ears given the fact they signed Paul Onuachu from Belgian club Genk in January and he failed to score a single goal before being sent on loan this season, there is value to be had when shopping in the Belgian top flight.
If Martin’s side are to opt for a more direct, like-for-like replacement for Sulemana then Francis Amuzu is a player with very similar qualities. Amuzu plays for Anderlecht and is naturally a left-winger. Like Sulemana, the 24-year-old is right footed and very fast. The similarities between the pair extend to their nationality too, with Amuzu having 14 Ghana caps and two goals for their shared country.
In his 11 league games for Anderlecht this campaign, Amuzu has started five and come off the bench in six, scoring three goals. Like Roberts, last season was far more impressive for the 5 ft 7 ins Ghanaian, scoring three and assisting 12 in all competitions.
If Southampton are to sell Sulemana, they will be expecting to at least recoup the £22 million fee they paid Rennes to secure his signing. Amuzu is valued at £5.2 million, meaning he represents very good money in the current market.
Do Southampton have Sulemana solution in the squad already?
Southampton have seven games before the January window opens so may have to find a solution from their current options, at least until then. Ryan Fraser would appear to be the most obvious replacement, but the Scot has struggled to make a meaningful impact when starting games.
20-year-old winger, Sam Edozie, is another player who will be looking to benefit from Sulemana’s position being up for grabs, having seen himself slip down the pecking order recently. Edozie hasn’t started a game since 26th October and has seen Sulemana and Fraser both get the nod ahead of him in that time.
Edozie is more similar to Sulemana in style than Fraser is, with his quick feet and direct running a quality that Martin may look to utilise. It is a profile that the Saints are short on and the Manchester City academy graduate will need to seize any opportunity with both hands to show his manager he can be an important player.
Edozie has two goals and one assist this season so his output will have to improve if he is to secure a starting role and be the man to step up in Sulemana’s absence but he certainly isn’t lacking in talent.