Through their official website, Championship club Southampton have announced their new intake of academy scholars for the 2023-2024 season, subject to FA and EFL approval.

Fifteen youngsters, consisting of ten that have risen through the academy ranks and five new arrivals, have signed scholarship forms and have been promoted to the U18 squad of Southampton.

Golden Eaglets-eligible central defender Abdulhalim Okonola-Matthews is among the five new arrivals and he has joined the Saints after his release by Premier League club Chelsea. 

Despite being a defender, Okonola-Matthews models his playing style after former Manchester United star and 2018 World Cup winner with France, Paul Pogba. 

Before joining Chelsea in 2022, Okonola-Matthews played for London-based grassroots team Levels FC 

The talented defender will be aiming to make his debut in the U18 Premier League in the forthcoming season. 

Meanwhile, another teenager of Nigerian descent, Nicholas Oyekunle, who has been tipped as a star of the future, has also signed a scholarship deal with the Saints. 

A center forward by trade, Oyekunle scored four goals in ten appearances for Southampton in the U18 Premier League last season. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit: southamptonfc.com 

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