Southampton owners Sport Republic have been made an offer which could see them finally rectify an expensive mistake this summer.
Southampton were very much guilty of panic buying when they spent £18 million to sign Paul Onuachu on transfer deadline day in January of last year.
The 6ft 8in striker was one of two January 2023 deadline day signings that did not work out, with Southampton unsuccessfully throwing money at Premier League survival as they finished bottom of the league.
The other was Kamaldeen Sulemana, who the Saints spent a club record £22 million to sign from Rennes but has scored just twice since; both of which came on the final day of the 2022/23 season with Southampton already relegated.
Unlike Sulemana, who spent last season at St Mary’s, Onuachu went out on loan last season and it is his performances for Trabzonspor that has seen Besiktas make Sport Republic an unconventional offer for his services.
Besiktas make strange offer to sign Southampton’s Paul Onuachu
Onuachu showed the kind of form that convinced Southampton to hinge their Premier League survival hopes on him in January 2023 as he scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 25 appearances for Trabzonspor in all competitions whilst on loan.
The Turkish club are keen for a reunion with the 30-year-old next season but cannot match Southampton’s valuation of around £12.6 million.
That has opened the door for a move elsewhere, with Turkish giants Besiktas keen to swoop but also not willing to match the Saints’ valuation.
Instead, they have offered a bizarre deal that involves Southampton’s sister club Goztepe according to Turkish journalist Onur Atis, who works for DHA Spor.
Atis posted on ‘X’ (translated to English): ‘Beşiktaş is the club that officially made the offer to Southampton.
If the black-whites transfer Onuachu, they will give Javi Montero, Mustafa Hekimoglu and Emre Bilgin to Göztepe. Mustafa will come to Göztepe on loan. Official talks were held last night.’
Should Goztepe benefit from Southampton player leaving?
This has the potential to cause unrest among the Southampton faithful, with the club unlikely to receive any benefit from Onuachu’s departure.
Sport Republic are majority owners of both Southampton and Goztepe, as well as French club Valenciennes.
The multi-club model is a contentious one amongst football fans, with the potential for inter-club deals and competing priorities a concern.
The fact that talks have begun regarding Onuachu heading to Besiktas and them sending newly-promoted Goztepe two players and one on loan is unlikely to sit well with Southampton fans.
This would effectively mean the club spent £18 million on a player who played for the club for six months and didn’t score a goal and rather than receiving their £12.6 million valuation for his departure he could go to another club with Southampton getting absolutely nothing in return.
Whilst Sport Republic are looking to grow the relationship between their clubs – a friendly taking place between Southampton and Goztepe last summer – this deal looks a sure way to drive them further apart.
To what extent Sport Republic are looking to facilitate a deal of this kind is unknown at this stage but it would be wise to reconsider any deal that does not provide direct benefit to Southampton in order to keep fans on side.