Southampton loanee Paul Onuachu is enjoying a superb start to life at Trabzonspor with one pundit tipping the striker to break the 20-goal barrier in the Turkish Super Lig.
Say what you want about Paul Onuachu – admittedly clumsy and cumbersome in his rare outings in the red-and-white shirt – that short-lived spell at Southampton is starting to look like a rather awkward blot an an otherwise impressive copybook.
The Nigeria international was prolific at Midtjylland and for Genk before joining Southampton in an £18 million deal during the January transfer window. And, since moving on loan to Turkey this month, Trabzonspor are wasting no time in showing the Saints what they are missing, the 6ft 7ins targetman already benefitting from the sort of service Southampton seemed unable – or even unwilling – to provide.
Paul Onuachu shining since Southampton exit
“You notice that he has hardly played football since January. He can’t handle playing for 90 minutes yet. (But) he has got off to a perfect start,” former Super Lig coach Fuat Capa tells Het Belang van Limburg.
‘Perfect’ indeed. Nothing on his debut in a 3-0 thrashing of Besiktas, Onuachu then scored one and set up another against Hatayspor on Monday.
“I saw both his matches,” Capa adds. “He immediately scored his first goal on his debut at home against Besiktas. He scored again against Hatayspor and also provided an assist. I see him scoring twenty times this season.
“We all know that he is a good striker who can record impressive statistics. I dare not predict that he will score 50 goals but I can see him scoring 20 goals. Onuachu fits well in the Turkish league, which, like the Belgian league, is quite physical.
“The pace is a little slower. But duelling power is more important.”
Two G/A in two Trabzonspor games
With Southampton on a run of four defeats and only two goals in their last four Championship games, you can certainly be forgiven for questioning the logic of discarding the most natural finisher in Russell Martin’s squad.
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