Sport Republic could go some way to putting right a massive transfer error from last year with a sale now agreed despite the transfer window being closed in the UK.
The January 2023 transfer window will not be one that is remembered fondly at Southampton as owners Sport Republic showed the negative impact that panic buying can have on a club.
With the Saints staring Premier League relegation in the face, Sport Republic signed James Bree, Carlos Alcaraz and Mislav Orsic before a Deadline Day double deal for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu.
Sulemana became Southampton’s record signing, whilst the club agreed to pay Genk £18 million for Onuachu.
The striker has not scored a single goal for the club and spent last season on loan at Trabzonspor but Southampton may be about to finally sanction the 30-year-old’s sale after a summer of negotiation.
Southampton agree deal with Trabzonspor for Paul Onuachu
Onuachu’s signing was a strange one even at the time, with the 6ft 8ins striker not fitting Southampton’s recruitment strategy – especially given he was 28.
However, then-manager Nathan Jones wanted a target man and that is exactly what Sport Republic provided; the problem being they sacked Jones days later.
- READ MORE: Sport Republic deserve credit for resolving one Southampton issue they couldn’t fix last summer
17 goals on loan at Trabzonspor last season gave Southampton hope of ending the Onuachu transfer nightmare but that had not so far not materialised.
There now looks to have been a breakthrough, though, with Turkish journalist Fikret Gul posting on X: “Trabzonspor reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu.
“€8.5 million (£7.1m) transfer fee. 3 year contract.”
Southampton making significant loss on Paul Onuachu sale
Onuachu’s spell at Southampton highlights the risk associated with signing a striker based on their goal record in one of Europe’s so-called ‘lesser’ leagues.
The Nigerian had scored 16 goals in 19 league games in Belgium in the first half of the 2022/23 season before moving to St Mary’s where he looked way out of his depth.
Whilst it can be argued Onuachu was not given a proper chance at Southampton, he also did little in his time on the pitch to show he was capable of playing in the Premier League.
The reported fee agreed with Trabzonspor shows just how desperate Sport Republic are to find a permanent solution to Onuachu’s future, with no chance of being reintegrated under Russell Martin at the Saints.
The agreed £7.1 million fee represents a 60% decrease on the £18 million Sport Republic paid Genk just 20 months ago in what will surely be remembered as one of the worst signings in recent Southampton history.