Southampton won't believe what Paul Onuachu has done after £6m exit

Former Southampton forward Paul Onuachu is running the show by leading the Süper Lig scoring charts with 21 goals so far this season.

The final stretch of the Championship campaign is about to begin soon. While the decisive run will shape the playoff picture, it will also bring greater clarity to clubs’ summer transfer plans.

From Southampton’s perspective, this summer is super important to their long-term project. While the club is expected to take their final stance on the loan deals of key players, they will need to do so with lessons learned from previous transfer mistakes.

Despite the brilliant transfer deals pulled by Sport Republic recently, the group’s decisions haven’t always been unquestionable. Take the summer exit of forward Paul Onuachu, who’s been lighting up the Süper Lig since leaving Southampton.

Paul Onuachu’s Southampton spell

Onuachu was part of a major attacking overhaul in January 2023, brought in to help steer Southampton away from relegation. But far from steadying the ship, he went goalless in 11 appearances for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign.

The forward was loaned to Trabzonspor in the following summer to help him rediscover his form while Southampton prepared for a push back to the Premier League. However, Onuachu’s spell at Saints barely improved.

While Onuachu struck 15 goals in just 21 appearances during his 2023/24 loan spell in Turkey, he failed to replicate that form in the Premier League upon his return. Barring a brief resurgence in January 2025, he finished the 2024/25 relegation season with just four goals to his name.

Remarkably, that meagre tally still made him Southampton’s top scorer across all competitions for the 2024/25 season. But it was more a reflection of the club’s overall level in an underwhelming 12‑point campaign than his own prowess.

Ultimately, Onuachu joined Trabzonspor permanently in the summer of 2025 for £6m.

Paul Onuachu is the top scorer of Turkish league

Ever since his return to the Turkish league, Paul Onuachu has rediscovered his peak 2023/24 form once again. Though injuries halted his availability in that campaign, Onuachu is living up to his reputation in the Süper Lig this time around.

Notably, Onuachu has had 21 goals in 24 Süper Lig appearances this season. While such figures are impressive in themselves, they are made even more remarkable by the fact that he’s outscoring the likes of Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi by a considerable margin.

Paul Onuachu is the frontrunner to bag the Süper Lig Golden Boot award for the 2025/26 season. Apart from leading the goals tally, he is only second to ex-Real Madrid star Marco Asensio on the combined G/A metric.

Will Southampton regret selling Paul Onuachu?

Though Onuachu’s form will make fans rethink the club’s decision to sell the forward in 2025, Southampton is unlikely to repent on it.

While Paul Onuachu has been scoring for fun in Turkey, it’s challenging to conclude if he would’ve scored with ease in the Championship, too. With no track record in the English second tier, the fast‑paced, physically demanding nature of the division might have proven too much for him once again.

Additionally, the Championship has a 46-game schedule compared to the Super Lig’s 34-game campaign. Given the flurry of injuries Onuachu had at Southampton, it’s doubtful if he would’ve thrived in this league.

It’s undeniable that Southampton made a £12m loss on Onuachu by selling him for £6m after an initial investment of around £18m. But the return could have been far worse had they waited any longer.

Just as ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, they might have been forced to accept another loan that may or may not have paid off.

Overall, Southampton is unlikely to look back on selling Onuachu, especially given their strong position in the ongoing promotion race. The only lingering what‑if is the thought of him working longer under Nathan Jones, the manager who originally signed him.

After all, Jones backed James Bree across three different clubs and turned him into a Southampton hit. Who knows? Onuachu might have fired on all cylinders under his guidance, too.