Southampton splashed out £15.8m to sign Paul Onuachu from Genk in January in a desperate bid to avoid Premier League relegation but it just did not work out for the striker in England.
The 6ft 7ins target-man was initially signed on deadline day of the January transfer window, with Welsh manager Nathan Jones looking for a focal point to allow his team to play in a more direct style. Just 12 days later, Jones was sacked after winning just one of his eight league games in charge and alienating an entire fanbase in the process.
Southampton appointed Ruben Sellés permanently after impressing in his two games in caretaker charge and, with pressing forwards a feature of his tactics, Onuachu found his opportunities incredibly restricted. The fact remains, though, that the striker brought in to provide a spark in the final third failed to score a single goal in his 11 appearances.
Onuachu surplus to requirements under Russell Martin
It was a summer of upheaval at Southampton following their relegation from England’s top flight and the biggest feature of this was a conscious decision at board level to shift from the pressing, out-of-possession focussed, style of the past few years and aim to become a possession-based side.
That meant the appointment of Swansea City manager Russell Martin and it soon became clear that Onuachu did not feature in the new manager’s plans; just as he didn’t in Sellés’.
Southampton failed to find a permanent suitor for the Nigerian international, but agreed to loan him to Turkish side Trabzonspor in a bid to get his wages off the books and hope that a successful season could see the club recoup some of the £15.8m outlay they gave Genk for his services just six months prior.
Onuachu finds shooting boots in Turkey
Onuachu could quite easily argue that he has not been given sufficient opportunities to perform in his short time at Southampton so far, with the club rarely playing to his strengths when he was given a chance. It appears his new home at Trabzonspor is an environment much better suited to the proverbial ‘big man up top’, with the team set up to get the best out of the striker.
Onuachu is clearly relishing being the player relied on to lead the attach and has repaid his new club with six goals and one assist in his eight league games so far. This should not come as a surprise, as the 29-year-old showed at Genk that he can score at an impressive rate when played to his strengths.
During his time in Belgium Onuachu scored 85 goals in 134 games, with his 33 league goals in the 2020/21 season earning him the division’s golden boot award.
There will be fans that argue that Onuachu is showing this season that, when used correctly, he knows how to find the back of the net. However, it could equally be argued that the man who failed to score a goal in England has found his level.
Either way, it would be incredibly surprising to see Onuachu line up in a competitive game again for Southampton, so they will be hoping his hot streak of form continues and persuades a club to offer the striker a permanent home.