Tonda Eckert has confirmed a conversation is coming over Nick Oyekunle and Romeo Akachukwu, after the manager spoke to reporters at Southampton's training camp in Germany.
Two names already inside the building
Against Preussen Münster on Saturday, Akachukwu lasted all 70 minutes of a 1-1 draw. Both youngsters had already found the net in the earlier 3-1 win over Eastleigh.
Although Southampton needed midfield cover last season, the 20-year-old Irishman went to Colchester United on loan and racked up 15 games in League Two. Now the draw has paired the two sides again, this Saturday in the Carabao Cup first round.
The tie pits him against the club he just left. Cardiff is the only other place he has worn a senior Saints shirt.
He came off the bench there under Russell Martin in a wild 5-3 Carabao Cup win two years ago.
Eckert said the pair had earned the discussion. "They've shown that they're willing to fight for their spot and I think we [will] have a conversation at one point where we see what the best way is moving forward."
"Nick has been with us in the end of last season, so they are hungry. Both of them," Eckert said.
Why the late gamble makes no sense
Oyekunle scored 10 league goals for the under-21s last season. The 19-year-old has four senior appearances too, and FotMob places three of them in the Championship.
The case for trusting the academy this year was set out over the summer. The two sit near the front of that queue.
One piece even floated the striker as an in-house answer up front. Reaching for a new forward or midfielder in the closing weeks of the window would only push these two down the order.
Other academy names travelled to Germany as well. Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh played 90 minutes against Preussen Münster, Tommy Dobson-Ventura has signed a fresh one-year deal after joining aged eight, and Joachim Kayi Sanda arrived from Valenciennes in January 2025.
Not every young name is trending upward, mind. Jay Robinson has had a quiet pre-season.
He has slipped down the group of youngsters tipped to push on this year. That form makes him an unlikely pick at Colchester.
While Oyekunle and Akachukwu have played their way into the conversation, Robinson has drifted out of it for now.
Colchester on Saturday is the natural stage to hand minutes to Oyekunle and Akachukwu, whether from the start or off the bench.
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