Southampton line up Kamaldeen Sulemana replacement as £3.5m ace ‘ready’ for Saints move

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Movement is finally happening at Southampton – albeit in the outgoings department – as Paul Onuachu closes in on a return to Trabzonspor and offers arrive for Kamaldeen Sulemana.

And the exciting part, for fans of a Saints side hoping to bounce back out of the Championship at the first time of asking, is that departures will free up funds.

Funds which will enable technical director Johannes Spors to help build Will Still a refreshed and updated roster just in time for the new campaign.

Earlier this week, Trabzonspor’s president admitted he wanted a deal for Paul Onuachu done as soon as possible. Ertugrul Dogan’s wish, it seems, is about to be granted. The two-metre targetman is now set to rejoin the club where he spent the 2022/23 season on loan; Southampton recouping £7 million for their troubles.

EFL Analysis can also confirm, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Atalanta have made a bid for Kamaldeen Sulemana. The Saints will let another of their expensive misfits leave, albeit Atalanta’s opening offer of £10 million falls below their asking price.

Soon to take Sulemana’s place, meanwhile, could be Lucas Cepeda.

And even the Colo-Colo winger’s teammates are now talking up a potential departure for a Chile international ready to showcase his talents on the other side of the Atlantic.

Southampton switch talked up by Lucas Cepeda’s Colo-Colo teammate

Reports from South America recently suggested that Southampton will make a bid for Lucas Cepeda at some point in the near future. It is believed that Colo-Colo may be willing to accept offers in the region of £3.5 million.

A bargain, perhaps, for a 22-year-old who scored seven times in 30 games last season from the flank.

Like Joshua Quarshie – the Germany youth star is Southampton’s first signing of the Will Still era – Cepeda is another who falls into the category of a ‘typical Saints addition’.

Speaking to ADN Radio, Colo-Colo midfielder Tomas Alarcon has no doubt that Cepeda will hit the mark should he end up making the near 12,000 mile journey from Santiago to Southampton.

“If he’s playing for Colo-Colo, he’s ready to play anywhere due to the pressure and the greatness of this club,” Alarcon says, Cepeda having played a starring role as his team won a record 34th Chilean league title in 2024.

“All of these things make you a different player and prepare you differently for leaving. Any Colo-Colo player is ready to play anywhere.”

Chile star Cepeda is ‘ready to go’ from South America to Europe

Anibal Mosa, Colo-Colo’s president, confirmed last week that Southampton had not yet firmed up their interest in a man who has three goals in his first seven caps for the Chilean national team.

The likely sales of Onuachu and Sulemana should, though, see the Saints press down on the accelerator.

“I think he’s ready to go to Europe from a footballing perspective and from a competitive perspective,” Gonzalo Jara, the Chilean icon who spent five years in England with West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Brighton and Hove Albion, tells TNT Sports.

“You see a different player who can compete. He competed against Argentina [in last Friday’s 1-0 defeat against the reigning World champions] and you can see that in the [World Cup] Qualifiers.

“I also imagine he has the requirements to play in the Premier League or the Championship if Southampton have been relegated, which I don’t remember! I think he has all the conditions to be able to go out and succeed.”

In addition to Cepeda, reports say Southampton are chasing Sweden midfielder Besfort Zeneli of Elfsborg.

Will Still could reunite with Juma Bah after the pair worked together at RC Lens last season, while Mauricio Pochettino speaks in glowing terms about Alex Freeman; the Orlando City right-back with admirers at St Mary’s.