Che Adams’ Premier League career hasn’t started as well as he would have hoped.
A lot was expected of Che Adams when Southampton forked out £15 million (BBC) to sign him from Birmingham City in the summer transfer window. However, after an underwhelming start, he has dropped down Ralph Hasenhuttl’s pecking order and his future looks to be a serious concern.
The now 23-year-old was one of the stars in the Championship last season where he scored 22 goals to help Birmingham City finish well ahead of the bottom places. His performances attracted a number of clubs but Southampton managed to beat the rest to bring him to St Mary’s.
Hasenhuttl trusted him initially, starting him in each of their first six league games but failure to break his duck has left him either on the bench or completely left out of the squad. Adams has played a combined 35 minutes of league football since his last start against Bournemouth in September and has three strikers above him in the pecking order.
Danny Ings is in the form of his life while young Michael Obafemi has looked very impressive whenever he has played so far. Shane Long too has looked dangerous at times with his pace and work rate which raises the question about Adams’ future.
His 22 goals last season was the first campaign where he got into double digits in the Championship which should have been a warning sign for the Saints before they signed him. Was the Premier League a year or two too early for him? Or is he just not cut out for it like Dwight Gayle who is prolific in the second-tier but has always failed in the top-flight?
The next few months will be incredibly important for Adams with regards to his future. Failure to get some goals could force Southampton to consider their options and with how he has fared so far, it is highly unlikely that a Premier League club will come in for him if he is put on the market.
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