‘Maybe I Am Looking For Excuses’ – Star Makes Southampton Admission Amid Struggles | OneFootball

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Former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu has admitted that he was aware of the risk of joining Saints and feels the managerial changes and system did not suit him at St Mary’s.

The 31-year-old centre-forward arrived at St Mary’s in February 2023, swapping title-chasing Genk for then relegation-threatened Southampton.

Onuchu featured eleven times for the club, but failed to score a goal, with Southampton getting relegated to the Championship and in the summer he joined Trabzonspor on loan.

After a brilliant season with the Turkish giants, the Nigerian returned to Southampton in the summer of 2024 with the intention of securing a permanent move to Trabzonspor; however, the move did not happen and he was left frustrated.

Onuachu barely featured under Russell Martin during the 2024/25 season and although he managed to establish himself under Ivan Juric, he failed to impress the club hierarchy.

The Nigerian hitman made a permanent move to the Trabzon-based club in the following summer window in a deal worth €8m and then Trabzonspor coach Faith Tekke hailed Onuachu as his most important player.

Onuachu indicated that he does not regret his move to Southampton, as at that time he felt the need for a new challenge when Saints approached him and added that he was fully aware of the risk of joining a team flirting with relegation.

He pointed out that several managerial changes and constantly needing to adapt to new systems are some of the reasons he struggled at St Mary’s and feels that a player should always need to have a clear idea of the way a club operate before he joins them.

“There are moments in football when things do not go well”, Onuachu was quoted as saying by Turkish outlet Gunebakis.

“For me, the Southampton period was one of those times.

“First of all, the transfer happened in January.

“I do not regret any of the decisions I have made, but sometimes there are questions you need to ask before signing for a club.

“You need to find out whether the system they play suits you.

“Personally, I had won everything there was to win in Belgium, and I felt that was enough. It was time to try something different.

“It was the Premier League. I knew the team’s chances of staying in the league or being relegated were 50-50, but sometimes you take a risk and then see whether it works.

“I took the risk, and it did not work.

“There were several managerial changes and systems that did not suit me.

“Maybe I am looking for excuses, but sometimes, if you want to join a team, you need to ask very carefully about the system, how things operate at the club and everything else.”

The Nigerian featured a total of 40 times for Southampton with only four goals under his belt.

Onuachu was top scorer with 22 goals last season in the Turkish Super Lig and helped Trabzonspor lift the Turkish Cup by netting two goals in the final.

Last season, he also broke a 14-year-old record