Southampton's biggest transfer flops as Onuachu set for exit

The St Mary's side have done some shrewd business in the last few seasons, signing youngsters Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento for a fraction of their value. 

However, they are still yet to set right an unfortunate record of their top transfers failing to deliver on the biggest stages. 

Record-signing Kamaldeen Sulemana remains at the club and could yet repay his transfer fee with Championship promotion this season. 

Here are some of the other transfer flops Saints have suffered within the last 10 years; in different circumstances, Onuachu and others may not have made the list. 

Paul Onuachu – £15.5million – 2023

Nigerian international Onuachu arrived on deadline day in January 2023 to great fanfare, having scored 16 goals in his last 13 Belgian Pro League matches.

The 29 year old stands at six-foot six-inches tall and was seemingly perfect for the style of play employed by manager at the time, Nathan Jones.

However, the Welshman lasted only two more fixtures – including Onuachu’s substitute debut – before he was sacked and the game model was completely reversed.

Under Ruben Selles, formerly an assistant coach at St Mary’s, and Russell Martin, Onuachu’s profile was an imperfect fit and the striker departs on loan without scoring a goal.

Mislav Orsic - £5million – 2023

Also signed in January 2023 with Jones seeking to add experience and potency to an otherwise young squad, Orsic arrived off the back of a goal in the World Cup third-place playoff.

Having only played in the minor leagues of Europe and Asia, Orsic was a gamble but had a history of scoring goals unlike any player in the Saints squad at the time.

The 30 year old netted 91 times for Dinamo Zagreb, in just over 200 appearances, but would not even get a chance to show that kind of prowess again.

Having arrived unfit, Orsic played just six minutes in the Premier League and made no impact in his handful of cup starts – never to be seen again, before moving to Trabzonspor.

Moussa Djenepo – £12.75million – 2019

Malian international Djenepo was probably quite close to making sure he was not on this list during a couple points of his Saints career.

He is still only 25 and managed 91 appearances for Saints, scoring in five of those. Goals against Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United (on his first start) exhibited promise.

However, his next took over 12 months to arrive and the popular dressing room character often failed to fully grip tactical complexities of the demands of the English top-flight.

He was key for Jones in beating Man City, versatile and good against the ball but a lack of control meant Martin’s arrival spelled the end of his Saints career at a loss of around £10million.

Moi Elyounoussi – £15.5million – 2018

Elyounoussi was much-maligned on the south coast despite remaining a manager’s favourite for all three bosses throughout the Premier League relegation campaign.

Arriving from continental-competing side Basel with the reputation of a tricky winger, the Norwegian international departed with the reputation of an industrious utility man.

It took a two-year loan spell at Celtic to kickstart his Saints career after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign but a 2021 hattrick against League Two Newport County got him back in the side.

Elyounoussi ended his time at Saints with 90 appearances, nine goals and a further six assists, departing at the end of his contract on a free transfer to Copenhagen.

Guido Carillo – £19million - 2018

The name that you knew was going to be coming up. Saints were given a significant windfall as a  result of the Virgil van Dijk transfer to Liverpool in January 2018.

Jay Rodriguez had also left and Argentine striker Carillo was seen as the answer to the problems – despite having only scored four in 15 French Ligue 1 games for Monaco that season.

Club record signing Carillo played just 10 times for Saints and was so clearly off the level that he escaped to Spain at the end of the season.

Carillo himself has since labelled the move a “misstep” which is the first thing he has got bang on regarding his Saints tenure. The 32 year old has only scored 15 league goals since 2018.

Mario Lemina – £14.5million – 2017

A midfielder coming from Juventus to Saints was also going to raise intrigue but the talented Gabonese international’s career has been underwhelming at most places.

An Under-20 World Cup winner with France, Lemina stayed at Saints for only two seasons, scoring two goals and providing two assists, before he was loaned away.

Lemina, who was also a club-record signing for Saints at the time, has earned a reputation for lacking concentration over his career and the club only recouped a third of his fee from Nice in 2021.

One of Lemina’s best contributions to Saints could have been his red card at St Mary’s back in February, but his former teammates could not keep their 1-0 lead to earn even a point in that.

Juanmi  - £6 million – 2015

Juanmi has gone on to have good success in Spanish La Liga despite a failed spell at St Mary’s, following his move from Malaga.

Juanmi never started a Premier League game for Saints in his sole season at the club and only made two substitute appearances in the entire second half of the season.

The Spaniard did not even net in either of his under-21 appearances – incredible, considering he made his full international debut for the European champions just months before joining.

Saints did recoup most of the fee they had spent when he moved to Real Sociedad the next summer but it was one they were happy to draw a line under.

Dani Osvaldo – £12.8million – 2013

One thing you cannot say about Argentine striker Osvaldo is that he lacks character. He allegedly punched Erik Lamela while at AS Roma in 2011.

That kind of ‘passion’ followed him to Saints, where the club were forced to transfer list him after a training ground bust-up with hero Jose Fonte.

Another club record signing of his time, Osvaldo’s playing time at St Mary’s lasted just six months but it would take a further 18 amid loan spells for someone to take him permanently.

Osvaldo, who arrived having scored 27 Serie A goals across his last two seasons, returned one goal per five million Euros spent at Saints – not including his wages.

What do you think have been Southampton's best and worst transfers of recent times?