Tonda Eckert could make a huge statement by bringing Edozie in from the cold

One of the biggest surprises of the January transfer window was the lack of interest from other clubs in Samuel Edozie.

The winger has not featured in a match-day squad since the beginning of the season and only played in one of the pre-season warm-up matches, away at Eastleigh.

The English/Nigerian has been frozen out by both Will Still and Tonda Eckert alongside Joe Aribo, who finally got a move to Leicester City on the final day of the window.

Nothing really makes sense about Edozie's career

However, nothing really makes sense about Edozie being frozen out. He is a player of undoubted quality and attacking flair. The parallels with Tom Fellows and Léo Scienza are obvious and he is a better winger than Jay Robinson and Kuryu Matsuki.

Edozie burst onto the Southampton scene during the 2023/24 promotion season, where he scored six goals in the Championship and racked up three assists. In the play-off final against Leeds at Wembley, Edozie came on for David Brooks after 35 minutes.

But Edozie's head was turned when he failed to feature after just three Premier League appearances and was loaned out to RSC Anderlecht in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.

The 23-year-old didn't pull up many trees in Belgium and returned in time to start the 2025/26 season back at St Mary's under Will Still.

After picking up an injury at Eastleigh, it became clear that the player was perhaps looking for a move, and it was not surprising that he was left out in the cold as the likes of Azaz, Scienza, and Fellows joined the club (all of whom can play in the same position as Edozie). Add Jay Robinson to that trio of wide attacking midfielders, and it's easy to understand why Will Still retained faith in the squad he started the season with.

While nothing has changed in that respect, it is hard to understand why Edozie would still be reluctant to play for Southampton. He could do his career prospects a lot of good if he plays well in a squad that looks ready to challenge for the top six.

The departures of Adam Armstrong, Ryan Fraser, and Joe Aribo in January could signal a change in Edozie's availability and motivation. It is hard to imagine either Still or Eckert leaving out a fully fit, motivated Samuel Edozie, who has already proven he has all the attributes needed to perform at this level.

Eckert could make a huge statement by bringing Samuel Edozie back into the match-day squad. He would be saying that there is a way back in if you work hard enough and you are good enough.