Southampton: Michael Obafemi loan deal to Swansea/Stoke off after injury

Southampton striker Michael Obafemi will not be moving on loan this month after a recent injury picked up in training.

This news comes via the Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, who confirms that any temporary switch to reported destinations Swansea City or Stoke City is off.

Details given by Sheldon do not confirm the severity of the 20-year-old’s or what the injury is exactly but it is said to be a “significant muscle injury”.

Obafemi came through the ranks at the famed Saints youth academy and initially showed signs of being a real prospect for the long-term.

However, it appears that he has reached the stage where he needs more first-team football to push his development on again – he has played just 19 minutes for Saints in the 2020/21 season.

In all, Obafemi has played 35 games at senior level since being handed his debut back in the 2017/18 campaign.

More from Saints Marching

• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

He is one of five main options that Ralph Hasenhuttl has at his disposal to fill the two striker spots in his team but has fallen out of favour behind the likes of Danny Ings, Che Adams and Theo Walcott recently.

It is clear that the youngster needs to develop his game still and evolve into the exact type of player that he is going to become eventually.

He possesses a good amount of pace and this has been noted by Ralph Hasenhuttl in the past. He does not exclusively play on the shoulder of the opposing defence though and sometimes appears in positions in and around the box that a poacher would.

To reach levels beyond where he is now, Obafemi needs to decide which of these types he wants to become. He has shown enough ability to have a real chance with Saints but has not had much of a chance to show it.

A loan move really would have been ideal at this stage but it now looks like he will have to wait until at least the summer now.