One of the many deals to take place after deadline day in England, the exit of Paul Onuachu from Southampton will have been met with a sigh of relief at St Mary’s.
The Nigeria international failed to live up to expectations following his €18m transfer from KRC Genk back in January, and it was clear he wasn’t part of the plans in the Championship following last season’s relegation.
A move away was sought, and a few were close, but the striker eventually left Southampton for Trabzonspor in Turkey on loan, where Gernot Rohr, former Nigeria national team manager, believes he will make a comeback, as explained to Punch Sports Extra.
Speaking to the newspaper, he said: “Onuachu needs game time in order to get back to his sharpest in front of goal. He was not guaranteed that at Southampton, hence a major reason for what you regard as a poor spell.
“He needed a bit of time to adjust to the pressure, the style of English football and his teammates, but he will bounce back in Turkey.”
This was also echoed by the Southampton loanee’s former agent, Churchill Oliseh, who added: “He is a great player who I believe will find his feet again in Turkey.”
If that wasn’t enough belief in the tall striker’s upcoming spell in the Süper Lig, Izunna Uzochukwu, who played with Onuachu at Mitdjylland, added his two cents to the mix too.
He said: “Every player has his own quality and we all know Paul is clinical in front of goal but does he get the supply he needs to score? I think his move to Turkey will help him get back to scoring ways again. He is a great striker, but you need to find him with good passes and crosses.”
It’s said that Trabzonspor paid a ‘minimal fee’ to sign Onuachu on loan from Southampton, where he failed to find the back of the net in 12 appearances for the Saints since his transfer from Belgium.
