By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu is close to rejoining Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor, with talks reportedly advancing over a permanent move this summer.
The 31-year-old forward spent the recently concluded season with English club Southampton, scoring four goals but failing to help the Saints avoid relegation from the Premier League.
With Southampton set to play in the English Championship next season, the club is keen to offload high earners—Onuachu included—as they restructure their squad for the second tier.
The Saints are reportedly open to offers, with Trabzonspor leading the race for the Super Eagles striker.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, both clubs are nearing an agreement on a €6 million transfer fee.
Onuachu previously enjoyed a successful loan spell at Trabzonspor during the 2022–23 season, scoring 17 goals in 22 appearances.
However, a permanent move failed to materialize last summer due to disagreements over the fee.
With Trabzonspor now in urgent need of a proven goal-scorer, the Turkish club is eager to bring Onuachu back to bolster their attack ahead of the new campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
