By Wale Mustapha
French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes have entered the race to sign Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu from Southampton ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 31-year-old forward is seeking a move away from the English Championship side following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League.
Onuachu, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor, has also been linked with a return to the Black Sea outfit. However, Rennes are now emerging as a serious contender for his signature.
According to French outlet Foot-Sur, Rennes’ new sporting director Loïc Désiré is leading the club’s push to secure a deal for the Super Eagles striker.
Onuachu has one year remaining on his contract with Southampton, who may be open to a transfer as they reshape their squad following a difficult 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.
