Southampton are facing stiff competition in their hunt for striker Romeo Akachukwu, as reported by the Irish Independent.
The 17-year-old is currently contracted to Waterford in Ireland, but he’s been catching the eye of some big names. The Saints, who have benefitted from investing in youth in the past, are credited with tabling a bit worth in excess of €500,000, but if they’re going to land their man, they’ll have to fight off Premier League giants.
Both Manchester City and Arsenal are thought to be monitoring Akachukwu, who caught the eye recently with a hat-trick in their First Division play-off semi-final win over Athlone Town. That helped to earn the club a promotion to the top flight, and a barrage of scouts from some of England’s biggest clubs came with it. It’s believed Newcastle United had already expressed an interest in the striker, with Eddie Howe having reportedly already held talks.
https://twitter.com/LeagueofIreland/status/1718296850220953612?
There’s also interest from Fleetwood Town, and whilst that may sound unlikely, it is worth remembering Fleetwood and Waterford are owned by the same people. The Cod Army has already signed Phoenix Patterson from the Blues and could potentially hijack any deal.
That does seem unlikely with such big names involved in the hunt for Akachukwu, but Southampton has one aspect in their favour. They’re believed to be offering the youngster a direct route into the first-team squad, whilst Arsenal and Man City would require him to be integrated into their academy setup.
Whilst the Southampton bid is on the table, there is unlikely to be any serious movement until the summer. Akachukwu cannot move until he turns 18, which means he will be a Waterford player until July 2024 at least, with a ‘long-term‘ contract running well beyond that date.
Writer’s View
There’s no doubt Akachukwu is an exciting prospect, and whilst interest from Arsenal and Man City is bound to be head-turning, it’s not such a straightforward decision these days. Integration into an academy setup is not an assurance of progression, and many exciting young players either fall by the wayside, or end up having to move on from their parent club.
Gavin Bazuna is a classic example, moving from Shamrock to Manchester City at a young age. He never played for Pep Guardiola’s side, but where is he now? Southampton. That may send a message in itself.
The other option, a rather left-field one, would be to move to Fleetwood. They may not be able to afford the fee, but if there’s a deal to be struck with a club they have a relationship with, that could make sense. He could be worth €500,000 now, but what if he got a season of League One football under his belt? It’s not a model that fans like, but it’s a possibility.
All things considered, it does appear that a move to St Mary’s would be the best for the player’s long-term development, but nothing will happen before July, meaning many more clubs could begin circling.
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