Saints' £22m plus bonuses for winger Sulemana surpasses fee for previous record buy Danny Ings; Ghana international joins from Rennes after choosing Saints over Everton; 6ft 7in Onuachu announced after window shuts in move worth £18m plus add-ons; Saints miss out on Vitinha
Wednesday 1 February 2023 06:51, UK
Southampton completed a Deadline Day club record deal for Kamaldeen Sulemana and signed the top scorer in Belgium this season, Paul Onuachu.
Sulemana opted for a move to St Mary's over Everton, and the deal worth £22m (€25m) plus bonuses which takes him from Rennes surpasses the club-record £22m Southampton committed to signing Danny Ings from Liverpool in 2019.
The 20-year-old has 15 caps for Ghana and made two substitute appearances for his country at the World Cup. He has largely been used from the bench by Rennes in Ligue 1 this term.
"He's at a stage in his career where we feel he can help us in the immediate term, but also continue to grow and develop further into the future," said Saints boss Nathan Jones.
The Saints head coach was also delighted to bring in Onuachu from Genk for £18m plus add-ons, describing the striker as "a significant signing" for the club.
The 28-year-old Nigeria international has scored 17 times in 22 appearances this season and at 6ft 7in will be a major presence up front for Southampton. In total, he scored 85 goals in 134 games for Genk after hitting 71 in 181 for Danish side FC Midtjylland.
Onuachu became Southampton's fifth signing of the January transfer window, with Mislav Orsic, Charly Alcaraz and James Bree added as well.
However, Southampton missed out on a Deadline Day deal for Vitinha, with the Braga striker joining Ligue 1 side Marseille.
Southampton were prepared to meet Vitinha's release clause - more than £26m - which would have made him a club-record signing.
Southampton also had an interest in Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, who has scored 69 goals in 160 appearances for the French club.
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
