After a deadline day move to Rangers fell through, there appeared to be a very real chance that the £10 million attacker was set for a few frustrating months sat on the bench.
But, fortunately for Sam Edozie, while the English and Scottish transfer windows closed on August 30th, there are a few still open and no shortage of clubs still in the market for an exciting young ball-carrier.
The Belgian transfer window remains open until September 6th.
As such, Anderlecht still have around 48 hours to complete Edozie’s move to Brussels, avoiding the sort of last-gasp trolley dash Rangers had to contend with.
“What frustrated me was how late it fell through, and it wasn’t on our end,” Southampton manager and former Rangers defender Russell Martin tells the Daily Record when asked why Edozie’s Ibrox switch collapsed.
“It’s a bit unfair to Sam really. It’s a bit disappointing, but it is what it is. Every club has their prerogative and their priorities in the transfer window. I was gutted for Sam because it was too late to then find another opportunity to go and play football.”
Rangers miss out on Southampton’s Sam Edozie
Edozie was left out of Southampton’s squad during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Brentford.
Martin confirms that Sam Amo-Ameyaw has moved ahead of the 21-year-old in the pecking order for the time being, with fellow youngster Tyler Dibling also making a huge impression off the bench in West London.
Fortunately for Edozie, Anderlecht are ready to swoop in and rescue the £10 million winger from his backseat role at St Mary’s.
According to Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri, the 34-time Belgian Jupiler League champions have agreed a deal that will see Edozie move to the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium on loan with an option-to-buy clause in his contract.
A graduate of Man City’s increasingly prosperous academy, it remains to be seen if Edozie can ascend to the same heights as, if not a Phil Foden, then a Cole Palmer or a Jadon Sancho.
Pep Guardiola labelled the winger ‘incredible’
Six goals and three assists in the Championship last term – Southampton earning promotion via the play-offs – was a respectable return but his end-product remains erratic.
And, three years after a few sparkling pre-season performances caught the eye of City boss Pep Guardiola, Edozie is yet to really scratch the surface of his potential despite regular first-team football coming his way at St Mary’s.
“As a young talent, having a special quality – a guy who gets to the box with the intention to score the goal – is important for wingers,” Guardiola said back in 2021, via Goal.
“He’s an incredible young player (with) good pace. Be patient with him.”
Edozie would have arrived at Rangers as something of a work in progress.
Nedim Bajrami, in contrast, feels like a more readymade addition to Philippe Clement’s squad, the scheming Albania international potentially slotting into the left-wing role vacated by Rabbi Matondo following the Welshman’s latest injury blow.
Bajrami joined in a £3.5 million deal from Sassuolo from Friday.
Albania assistant and former Rangers defender Sergio Porrini is confident that a player who played 28 games in Italy’s top flight last term can be a difference-maker for a side who remain a long way off Old Firm rivals Celtic, both in terms of points and performance.
“If he plays wide, he prefers to play on the left even though he is right footed. He is very good coming from the left with his right foot because he has a dangerous shot from distance. He scores a lot of goals from outside the box,” Porrini tells the Daily Record
“Nemid also had quality in the final third and has the vision and range of passing to be really dangerous and create things. He is very much an offensive player.
“Maybe (he) isn’t the strongest but he has great technique and comes alive in and around the opposition box.”
