Southampton manager Ivan Juric has expressed confidence that Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu will soon break his goal-scoring drought despite a slow start at the club. Onuachu, who joined the Saints from Belgian club KRC Genk in January 2023, is yet to find the back of the net in his 22 appearances for the South Coast side.
The 29-year-old forward was handed his second start of the season in Southampton’s 1-0 loss to West Ham United on Boxing Day but missed several scoring opportunities during the match. Despite this, Juric was impressed with Onuachu’s overall performance and believes he can end his goal drought soon.
Onuachu scored goals in Belgium every year, 20 goals. In Turkey, it’s the same thing. It’s not the same thing playing in Turkey and Belgium compared to England, Juric explained in an interview with the Daily Echo. I believe that he can do it. What I saw in these training sessions, he has his own characteristics. Long ball, keep the ball, the head is strong. It’s normal that he’s not the fastest player in the world, but in some games, I think he can do it well.
Juric’s belief in Onuachu’s potential underscores his faith in the striker’s abilities, despite the challenges he has faced in adapting to the Premier League. Fans will be hopeful that the towering forward will soon find his form and help Southampton in their bid for a better position in the league.