Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu has dismissed suggestions of a rift with Mohamed Salah, insisting the Egyptian forward’s experience and quality have had a positive impact on Trabzonspor.
Salah joined the Turkish club following his departure from Liverpool and has attracted much of the attention this season, taking some of the spotlight away from Onuachu, who was previously one of Trabzonspor’s star man.
Onuachu played a key role in the club’s success last season, finishing as the league’s joint top scorer alongside Eldor Shomurodov.
However, Salah’s arrival has brought a new dimension to the team, with the Egyptian quickly becoming one of its most talked-about players.
Speaking to Turkish media after Thursday’s Europa League defeat by Freiburg, Onuachu welcomed the opportunity to play alongside the former Liverpool forward.
“Everyone wants to meet a star like Salah. He brings us so much with his world-class experience. He has a positive influence on us,” Onuachu said, according to Turkish publication Fotospor.
The Nigerian is having a difficult campaign so far, with questions surrounding his future during the summer followed by a dip in form and a series of injury setbacks.
Onuachu, who returned from his latest injury against Freiburg, was also asked whether his success as one of last season’s leading scorers had increased the pressure on him.
“Of course, as a striker, I want to score goals, but what’s important here is that the team wins and plays good football, which is what they’re doing. When the team wins, there’s really not much of a problem, but of course, I’d like to score when the opportunity arises. As long as the team is doing well, I want to contribute to the team.”
Trabzonspor suffered a 1-0 defeat against Freiburg at Papara Park, despite creating several opportunities.
Onuachu praised his team’s performance but expressed disappointment over a penalty decision involving an incident in which he felt he had been pushed from behind.
“Despite the loss, I can say that we actually played a good match today. We had a good game because we were up against a tough opponent. Despite that, we had many chances but couldn’t capitalise on them,” he said.
“The referee’s decision could be important here because it was a 50-50 situation. I was pushed from behind, but the referee was the one who would make the final decision.”
Despite his recent injury problems and reduced prominence, Onuachu’s comments suggest he remains focused on contributing to Trabzonspor’s collective success rather than competing with Salah for individual attention.
