A significant portion of Southampton fans were caught off guard when the club decided to secure West Ham’s £17.5 million winger Maxwel Cornet on a season-long loan during the final week of the summer transfer window. Once a Champions League star with Lyon, Cornet had seen limited action at West Ham, where he was the third-choice left-winger and started only three times in two Premier League seasons.
Cornet first rose to prominence in Ligue 1 with Lyon, especially with a standout performance in the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City four years ago. His early first-half goal set the stage for Lyon’s 3-1 victory, sending them to the semi-finals and catching the eye of several top clubs. This led to his move to Burnley the following season, where he impressed in his debut Premier League campaign, netting nine goals despite Burnley’s eventual relegation to the Championship.
Since then, Cornet struggled for regular playing time at West Ham and welcomed the chance to join Russell Martin’s Southampton side, hoping to contribute to their fight against relegation. Making his first appearance in a 3-0 loss to Manchester United, he’s yet to make a major impact. Recently, he came on early in the Carabao Cup clash against Stoke City, playing 60 minutes but with limited offensive presence, although he was involved in the build-up to James Bree’s last-minute winning goal.
That play hinted at Cornet’s playmaking skills, though he’ll need to boost his speed and finishing if he hopes to become a regular under Martin. For now, Cameron Archer’s strong form keeps him in the left-sided forward role, meaning Cornet will need to make the most of his substitute appearances to earn more Premier League minutes. Whether Cornet can recapture his best form or if Southampton will seek new attacking options in January remains to be seen.
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