Aston Villa are interested in Michael Obafemi along with West Brom (Getty Images)
According to Wales Online, Swansea City are weighing up a loan swoop for out-of-favour Southampton striker Michael Obafemi during the January transfer window.
Championship rivals Stoke City have also been credited with an interest in the Republic of Ireland international. The 20-year-old has been restricted to just a couple of substitute appearances at St. Mary’s this season. It has been claimed that Ralph Hasenhuttl would be willing to listen to loan offers for the youngster this month. (h/t Wales Online)
Obafemi had brief stints in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea, Watford and Leyton Orient before joining Southampton at the youth level to complete his footballing education. He became the second-youngest player to make a Premier League appearance for the Saints when he made his professional debut as a substitute against Tottenham back in January 2018.
The young striker made a positive impression for the Saints last term, playing 663 minutes across 8 starts and 13 substitute appearances in the PL. Obafemi bagged 3 goals and 2 assists in that time, catching the eye with his potential as a highly-rated prospect. However, opportunities have been few and far between for the Irish international this season.
Meanwhile, Swansea City continued their impressive run of form in the Championship with a closely-contested 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday, thanks to a brace from Jamal Lowe. The victory saw the Swans climb up to 2nd in the standings with Steve Cooper’s side now just four points adrift of pace-setter Norwich City.
The Welsh outfit currently boast the best defensive record in the division with just 13 goals conceded so far. But a tally of just 27 goals scored in 23 games means that Cooper needs to look at reinforcements to bolster his attack heading into the crucial second half of the season.
Swansea have been comfortably outscored by some of their promotion rivals, and that could be a real concern when the race for automatic promotion goes down to the wire.
Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe have been the key goal contributors for the Swans this season. But with Brighton loanee Viktor Gyokeres struggling to make an impression and youngster Liam Cullen also offering very little, Swansea should seek more depth and cover up top.
Putting things into perspective, Michael Obafemi could be a handy addition to the ranks at the Liberty Stadium this month. The youngster caught the eye with a few moments of brilliance in the Premier League last season and looks ready to make a real impact in the Championship.
Swansea City reaped the benefits of signing Rhian Brewster on loan during the second half of last season and Michael Obafemi fits the bill as a player in a similar mould. The Irish starlet has shown at Southampton that he is capable of flourishing when provided with regular game time. With fixtures set to come thick and fast, he would offer some real depth and quality to the Swans’ forward line.