Trabzonspor, Göztepe, or Beşiktaş: Where will Southampton’s Super Eagles striker go?

Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu has been linked with three Turkish clubs following his impressive performance with Trabzonspor in the 2023-24 season, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian star had an excellent stint in Belgium with KRC Genk, which eventually piqued the interest of Southampton, luring him to St Mary’s Stadium for a fee in the region of €18 million.

The towering striker, however, could not meet expectations in his first few months with the English side, failing to score in all his appearances, leading to his label as a flop.

Onuachu Wants Trabzonspor

After joining the Trabzon-based club on a season-long loan, the Nigerian international found his form again, netting 15 goals and providing four assists in his 21 domestic league appearances.

As a result, the Black Sea Storm are eager for another season with the Nigerian, who has also publicly declared his desire to stay another season.

According to FutsHaberr, Trabzonspor tabled an offer to Southampton to re-loan Onuachu, proposing to pay the player’s entire salary for the coming season in addition to a €2.5 million rental fee. However, Southampton is not keen on this offer.

Besiktas Join Race for Onuachu

Besiktas have also entered the race to sign the Nigerian international permanently. According to Ertan Suzgun, the Saints have communicated their terms and conditions to let the player go.

Reportedly, the newly promoted Premier League side will not sell the Nigerian attacker for anything less than €15 million, a figure Besiktas have duly noted.

Southampton Eye Sister Club

Onuachu joined Southampton in the 2023 January transfer window on a three-year deal, tying him to the club until 2026.

Meanwhile, Southampton has a sister club in Turkey, Göztepe, which has recently been promoted to the Super Lig and will be playing in the first division in the 2024-25 campaign.

#SaintsFC sister club #Göztepe plan to transfer in Paul Onuachu this summer.

[@sabahspor] pic.twitter.com/nEGKdyDqoF

— Saints Socialite (@SaintsSocialite) May 1, 2024

Reports suggest that Southampton plans to send Onuachu to lead Göztepe’s forward line during their campaign, following his impressive performance in his first loan spell from the club.