Southampton spent a good chunk of this summer weighing up a move for Werder Bremen forward Justin Njinmah. German outlet BILD first put the Saints in the frame, and the72 carried the story on July 13th. Hull City were credited with interest at the same time.
The picture has shifted since. Njinmah's proposed switch to Hull has now fallen through. The forward and his agent were unhappy at how the club handled the exit of their sporting director.
He then started a pre-season friendly against Verden and scored twice inside the opening half. Werder's new head coach, Horst Steffen, is said to want him in the squad, so a departure now looks unlikely, rather than close.
That leaves Southampton's interest without much room to grow, especially since Bremen's Deichstube fan site poured cold water on the link in the first place. It reckoned there was little behind it.
What Southampton would be getting
Njinmah is 25 and can play through the middle or off either flank. Versatility is part of his appeal, though output has been the sticking point across three Bundesliga seasons.
He managed five goals last season while Werder edged clear of relegation. His FotMob player profile shows a 6.63 average rating across 33 league games. Poor finishing, not lack of effort, has been the problem. He registered no assists in those 1,955 minutes. Fourteen goals in 84 Bundesliga appearances tells a similar story.
Transfermarkt values him at around seven million euros, close to six million pounds at current rates. Bremen have been open to a sensible fee, though their stance appears to have hardened this week.
Why the Saints might not be missing much
Southampton do need a forward. Ross Stewart left on a free at the end of June, so replacing him has been the club's clearest job this window. A piece back in June setting out Southampton's summer needs flagged how much rested on Johannes Spors recruiting well, and warned against leaning on forwards who had already disappointed.
Saints Marching has sounded that note before. When the club turned to Cyle Larin in February, the verdict on that move questioned the wisdom of signing a focal-point striker short on form and untested in English football. A player who scores once every six or seven league games raises that same concern. The step down from the Bundesliga to the Championship can flatter a modest record just as easily as it exposes one.
There is a version of Njinmah who clicks in a front three. Pace and a willingness to run in behind are his best traits. The club has gambled on that profile before and been let down.
Verdict: 2/5. He offers useful flexibility, but a return of five goals and no assists in a full season points to being a squad option rather than the scorer a promotion push needs.
Likelihood: 2/5. Southampton were one of several soft links floated by BILD, and with the Hull move dead and Werder set on keeping him, the momentum has gone.
The Saints will keep hunting a striker. On this evidence, Njinmah is unlikely to be the answer and may have been removed from the shortlist.
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