Kamaldeen Sulemana believes his Atalanta arrival is independent of star winger Lookman's transfer talks, with Sulemana certain of winning the priority under boss Juric.
Realise it or not, it's been a month since Saints got Kamaldeen Sulemana off their transfer books onto Atalanta's records. Now, undoubtedly, no Saints fan can ever be ungrateful for the €21.5m he contributed to their transfer budget, Sulemana's case remains one the fans would hardly want to revisit.
In fact, ask them, and the St. Mary's faithful won't shy away from admitting that despite his capabilities, Sulemana's Atalanta spell won't be any better. But while this assumption feels fair given his Southampton stay, the 23-year-old winger has teased his massive Atalanta ambitions.
For those who aren't aware, Atalanta star Ademola Lookman's Inter transfer talks have been the recent spotlight of the Serie A summer window. Naturally, boss Juric's side needs a successor, for whom many fans anticipate Kamaldeen Sulemana's arrival to fill in as his natural replacement.
Sulemana hopes to earn a starting spot irrespective of Lookman's exit
But guess what? The former Saints winger's approach to his move is quite different, as he believes his transfer has hardly been a safety net for Atalanta's Lookman departure. Recently, Sulemana clarified his stance in his club presentation, saying, "I didn’t come here to be anyone’s replacement. I know."
Well, what that translates to is Sulemana backs himself to compete with Lookman for a starting left wing role, if the latter ends up staying. To say Sulemana's fighting spirit would surely turn heads among Atalanta fans, but for the Saints, it's hardly anything exciting, given that they are aware of his true self.
That's because, having not forgotten his self-centred comments, Saints fans would expect everything from Sulemana except standing up to his current statement. And while his words should entice confidence in the Atalanta camp, against Lookman's potential sale, it wouldn't be surprising for Saints to know if the 23-year-old fails to deliver big time again.
But again, nothing can be taken for granted in football, and especially with former Saints. Who knows, the next time Southampton checks on Sulemana, just to add his name to the tally of players who out-improved after departing the club.