By Saheed Afolabi
Southampton manager Russell Martin has expressed his desire to keep striker Paul Onuachu at the club beyond this season, despite the Nigerian forward’s recent struggles in the English Premier League.
Onuachu, who had a prolific loan spell at Trabzonspor last season, scoring 15 goals in 21 appearances, has yet to find the back of the net in six appearances since returning to Southampton.
The 30-year-old’s form has been a stark contrast to his performances in Turkey, and he has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League this season.
However, Martin is bracing for potential interest in the Super Eagles forward during the January transfer window, particularly from clubs that failed to secure his services in the summer.
“He was respectful, and in January, I’m sure there will be a few people that are interested in him again,” Martin was quoted as saying by The Echo.
“I’m sure there will also be a few people kicking themselves that they clearly didn’t quite want him enough in the summer.”
Despite the looming interest, Martin emphasized Southampton’s intention to hold onto Onuachu and retain his services.
“For me, if Paul is happy, we’re really happy, and we want him here, as he can help us achieve what we want to achieve this season.”
Currently struggling at the bottom of the Premier League with just five points from 13 matches, Southampton faces a crucial test on Wednesday, December 4, when they take on in-form Chelsea in a must-win encounter to improve their position before the new year.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
