Southampton exit ruled out as president admits £12m fee...

No team in England’s top division has less goals [eleven] or points [five] than the Saints, who seem to require a

miracle if they hope to avoid an instant return to the Championship.

There are only four Premier League goals between Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer.Ross Stewart, a rarely seen

£10 million player, has been sidelined since October due to a setback.

Paul Onuachu left Southampton as soon as he managed to make his way into the starting lineup.

Onuachu’s dismissal with 52 minutes remaining in that 3-2 loss to Liverpool at the end of November is one of the

best ways to describe the Saints’ season.

The £18 million giant of a centre-forward had led Arne Slot’s backline a merry dance until then – especially with one

marvellous piece of skill in the first-half – but his afternoon was cut short just as Onuachu was finding his

considerable stride.

Trabzonspor rule out January move for Southampton’s Paul Onuachu

After missing the previous three games, Martin is optimistic that Onuachu will return to action as soon as possible.

He also maintains that the 6′ 7″ Nigerian international will eventually establish himself as a vital member of The

Saints’ future, almost two years after his high-profile move from KRC Genk.

Of course, some may say that it really shouldn’t have taken this long. Given his reliance on crosses into the penalty

box, Onuachu is not suited for Martin’s possession-based strategy; nonetheless, the seasoned 30-year-old can point

to a goal-scoring record that speaks for itself.

In his final three seasons at Midtjylland, he twice scored more than 20 goals. In the 2020–21 season, he scored 35

goals while playing for Genk in Belgium.

Additionally, Onuachu returned to the South Coast following a loan stint with Trabzonspor last season after scoring

17 goals in just 25 games.

In a perfect world, Trabzonspor would have been thrilled to make Onuachu’s temporary agreement permanent.

The head of the Super Lig team, Ertugrul Dogan, acknowledged that he made a £7 million offer in the summer. He

claimed that Onuachu “really wanted” the relocation. However, Southampton’s refusal to change their estimated £12

million valuation meant that was the end of it.

Dogan maintains that Trabzonspor has no intention of revisiting this agreement unless Southampton significantly

softens their position, despite the fact that rumors have surfaced again in advance of the January transfer window.

“At the beginning of the season, we made an offer for Paul Onuachu at the highest level we could,” Dogan explains,

via Taka Gazete. “But his club did not accept this offer.

“There are certain realities of life and, right now, Trabzonspor is not in a position to make a transfer by paying a

transfer fee of 15 million euros. Onuachu was happy at Trabzonspor, but it is not possible for us to make the transfer

in line with these economic realities.”

As 2025 rapidly approaches, it is surprising that The Saints have not been brought up in relation to any possible

striker targets.However, Southampton does like Romano Schmid, a midfielder for Werder Bremen.

Kwame Poku, a winger for Peterborough, is another player the Saints are interested in, but those plans might be

derailed by a possible three-month injury layoff.

Martin, meanwhile, is adamant that Southampton would not release Onuachu in the upcoming year.

The former Swansea City manager remarked, “I’m sure there will also be a few people kicking themselves that they

obviously didn’t want him enough in the summer.” “In my opinion, we’re truly happy if Paul is content.

“He can help us accomplish our goals for this season, which is why we want him here.”