If you had asked Russell Martin at the start of the summer whether Armel Bella-Kotchap and Kamaldeen Sulemana would still be Southampton players by September, you would likely have only received one answer.
Southampton had spent a club-record fee to sign Kamaldeen Sulemana in January 2023 and hoped to offload the £22 million signing last week with a loan-to-buy deal agreed with Ajax. However, FIFA ruled that the transfer wasn’t completed before the deadline in the Netherlands, resulting in Sulemana returning to Southampton.
Similarly, Armel Bella-Kotchap’s £12.8 million move to Hoffenheim fell through after an issue was discovered during his medical.
As a result, Russell Martin now has two talented but unwanted players to manage in an already large squad.
Russell Martin keeps door open for Southampton pair Armel Bella-Kotchap and Kamaldeen Sulemena
Another player Southampton have been attempting to move this summer is Paul Onuachu, with hopes for a transfer to Turkey still alive as their window closes on Friday.
For Sulemana and Bella-Kotchap, however, it seems any chances of a move are unlikely. In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester United game, Martin was asked about reintegrating the two players into the squad.
Martin explained: “We ensure that the door is always open for them and that they train well with the team. We adapt and be flexible with training to accommodate all players, though there will be days when they might feel frustrated. We’ll treat them with respect and involve them in as many training sessions as possible, giving full attention when needed.”
He added, “We’ll try to balance things as best as we can, and they will get everything from us. All we ask in return is their commitment, and if that’s maintained, there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Despite suggesting that neither player might feature regularly moving forward, Martin also left the door open for surprises, stating, “There could be one or two surprises where they earn a recall to the squad or even the team.”
Russell Martin has difficult task of managing large Southampton squad
Martin currently manages a squad of 30 first-team players, making it clear why the sales of Onuachu, Bella-Kotchap, and Sulemana would have been beneficial for Southampton. With such a large roster, keeping all players content is a challenging task, and Martin may face tough decisions.
This season has already seen Ronnie Edwards, Ryan Manning, and Nathan Wood miss out on matchday squads, highlighting the difficulty of accommodating everyone. Bella-Kotchap and Sulemana are both highly talented players who have struggled to find their form recently.
Nevertheless, if they focus on their work and maintain a strong attitude, there’s every chance they could earn a place in the Southampton squad between now and January.
GET MORE NEWS ON LIFESTYLEROOM.NET
Leave a Reply