Portsmouth must be laughing hard at £12m Southampton situation | OneFootball

Gavin Bazunu excelled on loan at Portsmouth earlier in his career, but his time at Southampton has been very difficult.

The south coast derby is among the fiercest in the country, and Portsmouth and Southampton will battle it out in the 2026/27 Championship season once again.

Saints finished higher than their rivals last year, but they couldn’t beat Pompey in the two games, which both ended in draws.

But, the way the season ended, with all the fallout from Spygate, means Southampton weren’t exactly in a position to gloat about finishing above John Mousinho’s side.

Given the hatred between the two clubs, any player who has featured for both is always going to be a talking point, and Gavin Bazunu falls into that category.

Gavin Bazunu starred for Portsmouth in League One

Even though he didn’t directly move from Fratton Park to St. Mary’s Stadium, it was Bazunu’s form with Portsmouth that prompted Saints to sign the keeper.

The Irishman, who was contracted to Man City, spent the 2021/22 campaign with Portsmouth, and whilst it was a disappointing year for the club, as they finished 10th, Bazunu enhanced his reputation.

He was named Players’ Player of the Year, and he produced some outstanding individual displays, as well as showing composure and quality on the ball that left many convinced he was destined to play at the highest level.

Southampton’s Gavin Bazunu transfer gamble backfired

Southampton certainly thought that, as they paid around £12m for Bazunu, and he was thrown straight in as number one in the Premier League.

Clearly, it was a massive jump up for the keeper, and, at 20, it was a huge risk for the club considering his lack of top level experience.

Sadly for Saints, it was a decision that did not work out as they were relegated without putting up much of a fight.

Whilst there were many problems at the club, Bazunu struggled in goal, and he certainly didn’t handle the step up from League One - much to the delight of the Pompey fans who had cheered him the season before.

Injuries have hindered Gavin Bazunu’s career so far

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In hindsight, many at Southampton would surely acknowledge they could’ve managed Bazunu better, and it was a difficult environment for a young player to be thrown into.

So, relegation may have actually benefited Bazunu, and, under new boss Russell Martin, he was the main man in goal.

Again, though, Bazunu didn’t always convince, but his ability on the ball was key to the way the manager wanted to play, and Southampton did win promotion.

However, Bazunu missed the run-in with an Achilles injury that kept him out for almost a year, and it was the start of a series of setbacks for the keeper.

A knee problem cut his loan at Standard Liege short, and further problems meant he featured just six times for Stoke last season.

Gavin Bazunu could benefit from fresh start elsewhere

There’s no getting away from the fact that Bazunu has been a poor signing for Southampton, and it’s one of a number of bad deals that contributed to their demise in recent years.

Bazunu has also had terrible luck with injuries, but he remains a Saints player, as he enters the final year of his contract.

With interest from Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic, clubs clearly see talent in the keeper, and you have to remind yourself that he is still only 24.

Therefore, Bazunu is still some way off his peak years, and he will have learned a lot from the past few years, even if they have been difficult.

Daniel Peretz is the number one at Southampton right now, so Bazunu needs a move for the sake of his career, and it’s hard to imagine the Championship side will stand in his way.

It may have been a transfer that Saints regret, and Portsmouth fans will certainly have had a laugh at their rivals’ expense at how it played out, but there will be no hard feelings from the supporters towards Bazunu, who can hopefully fulfil his potential at his next club.