Turkish The Super Lig heavyweights, Besiktas, have entered the competition to secure the services of Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu from English club Southampton, as they vie against previous frontrunners Trabzonspor for his signature.
Onuachu, who enjoyed a fruitful loan period at Trabzonspor during the previous season, was anticipated to go back to his original team. However, recent updates out of Turkey indicate that Besiktas has intervened with solid intentions to disrupt this transfer.
Even though Southampton has been facing difficulties in the Premier League, Onuachu has distinguished himself by scoring four goals lately, thus demonstrating his value to possible buyers.
The tall forward had a substantial influence during his temporary stint with Trabzonspor in the previous season, netting 17 times in 25 matches overall, prompting the team to consider acquiring him permanently from the start.
Nevertheless, talks between Trabzonspor and Southampton stalled due to disagreements regarding the forward's price tag, as the Premier League side insisted on receiving €15 million for him.
The Trabzonspor president, Ertuğrul Doğan, had earlier stated unequivocally that the club was unwilling to match Southampton’s requested fee for the 30-year-old Nigerian international player.
"Onuachu was a borrower last season who represented our team. The club he belongs to is demanding approximately €15 million. Our offer stands at €8 million plus additional incentives," according to statements made by Dogan and reported by Turkish media source Tivibu Spor.
Currently, Trabzonspor can’t afford to pay €15 million for a footballer. Our coach has requested this only for players aged around 20-22 years old, but even so, we won’t consider it immediately. Offering such a sum to someone who is 30 years old isn’t feasible at present. Over the past couple of days, things have become quite evident. For now, we’ll just have to observe how everything unfolds.
Even though Onuachu is still contracted with Southampton until June 2026, his future with the club is unclear. After making a return to the Premier League last season following their time in the Championship, the Saints are eager to offload multiple players who were on loan during that period.
Besiktas' entry into the competition for Onuachu's signing has added a fresh twist to the transfer story, as the club is apparently prepared to match Southampton's asking price.
Several Turkish teams such as Fenerbahçe and Goztepe, which is affiliated with Southampton, have expressed interest in the Nigerian striker. However, the competition seems to be primarily between Besiktas and Trabzonspor.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
0 Comments