Southampton striker Paul Onuachu could join Cristiano Ronaldo, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia after just six months in the Premier League.
Genk boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck had a point when he suggested that the Nigeria international’s £18 million move to St Mary’s was probably a bit of an error.
Paul Onuachu, the biggest of Southampton’s January signings (literally and figuratively, he is 6ft 7ins after all), failed to score a single league goal as Ruben Selles’ side finished bottom of the table.
What’s more, he only started one of the club’s final 14 games.
For a player who had long-since dreamt of a move to England – missing out on the chance to join Wolves during the summer of 2022 – this certainly felt like a dose of harsh reality; Onuachu’s ‘dream’ quickly descending into a nightmare.
Will Southampton’s Paul Onuachu join the Saudi Arabian revolution?
Whether he sticks around in order to help Southampton bounce back at the first time of asking depends on a number of factors. One, of course, being whether Selles’ replacement – expected to be Swansea boss Russell Martin – sees Onuachu as part of his plans.
Given Martin’s reputation for patient, possession football, it’s not easy to see where a 6ft 7ins striker who thrives on crosses really fits in.
Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri, meanwhile, believes that there is interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray and a Union Berlin side who, in stark contrast to Martin’s Swansea, relish a physical battle and pride themselves upon wicked delivery from wide areas.
Union Berlin will be playing Champions League football for the first time next term.
Tavalori believes that a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia is also on the cards for Onuachu. Al Taawoun are reportedly interested in a deal that would make Onuachu – who scored 85 goals in 134 games in Belgium for Genk – their marquee signing.
Kante and Benzema are among the big-name stars to have joined Ronaldo in the Middle East recently.
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