Southampton have made an offer to sign Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu this January and the Belgian side have swiftly rejected the bid, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Saints, guided by manager Nathan Jones, are making moves this transfer window as they bid to avoid a drop to the Championship.

The Premier League strugglers, currently sitting at the foot of the table, are fighting for survival but appear determined to get some deals over the line.

Southampton, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, have made a bid to sign Genk striker Onuachu. However, Genk are reluctant to sell mid-season and want him to remain in Belgium to support their title challenge.

The Nigeria international has been linked with a move to England before, most notably with West Ham, and now Jones’ side have displayed their fondness in Onuachu.

The 28-year-old has been a pivotal player for Genk in recent years and one of the Jupiler Pro League’s star forwards.

A clinical striker, Onuachu has netted 83 goals and a further ten assists in all competitions since arriving at the club with 14 in his last 18 league appearances this season.

The towering 6-foot-6 attacker is quite a physical presence going forward and holds no shortage of admiration for his performances in the last two years.

He has been described as ‘one of the best players in the Jupiler League’ and Belgian defender Rasmus Carstensen goes even further. Carstensen lavished Onuachu with praise in an interview, claiming he is a ‘class guy’ and ‘crazy good at football’.