The sale of Paul Onuachu to Premier League strugglers Southampton could cost KRC Genk the Belgian top-flight title, former Rote Duivels international Marc Degryse tells Het Laaste Nieuws.
The £18 million January signing must have wondered just what on earth he had gotten himself into.
Southampton were already 2-0 down at Brentford when he came off the bench to make his top-flight debut in West London; chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ and ‘Nathan Jones, get out of our club’ ringing out from a despondent away end.
It says a lot about the pulling power of the Premier League that Onuachu would happily swap a title challenge for a relegation dogfight. The 6ft 7ins Nigeria international ‘begged’ Genk to let him go on deadline day.
According to director Dimitri de Conde, the Jupiler League leaders felt they had no real choice but to bow down before Onuachu’s demands; reluctant to deny the towering striker a shot at his lifelong dream.
Southampton sign Paul Onuachu from KRC Genk
Then again, lord knows whether Genk would have been quite so charitable if they did not have a seven point gap between themselves and second-place Union Saint-Gilloise in the title race. A gap which lessens the risk of Onuachu’s mid-season departure.
Degryse, however, is quick to remind Genk that nothing is won yet. Stranger things have happened, as they say.
“You should not underestimate the impact (of selling Onuachu),” Degryse argues. “He was the top scorer, he guaranteed 20 to 30 goals every year.
“The competition will not mind Onuachu’s departure. Yes, this could cost Genk the title.”
Onuachu, in his final 102 appearances for Genk since the start of 2020/21, scored a remarkable 75 games. 16 of those came in just 14 Jupiler League starts during the first half of the current campaign.
And Southampton will need Onuachu to be at his most ruthless if they are to avoid spending the summer scouring for Premier Inns in Plymouth.
Nathan Jones under fire at Southampton
TalkSPORT believes that the under-fire Jones will remain in charge for the time being. A home defeat against relegation rivals Wolves, however, would add another straw to the camel’s already lumbago-stricken back.
“They were strange comments,” Ian Wright told Match of the Day; Jones appearing to blame everybody but himself for Southampton’s ongoing malaise. “They were strange. It’s your job to do your job. What are you talking about ‘pandering’ to people?
“This is the Premier League. You’re not going to get many opportunities here. So don’t come and start throwing people under the bus saying it’s their fault. Get it done.”
Southampton have lost six of their last seven league games under Jones. Now bottom of the table, there is a three point gap between the Saints and safety.
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