Chelsea host Southampton at Stamford Bridge today and there will be a few eyes on Luke Shaw as his name is on Jose Mourinho’s list of targets.
The Saints reportedly rejected a £10 million offer for the England Under-21 international in the summer and are holding a high value against a player that signed a new deal in July, but that hasn’t put a stop to Chelsea and Tottenham interest in Shaw.
It seems as though Ryan Bertrand is seen as no more than defensive cover by Mourinho at Stamford Bridge as the Mirror claim that Chelsea are willing to offer the Liverpool and Everton target as part of a bid to land Shaw, it’s also put fuel to the speculation surrounding Ashley Cole’s future at the club as he’s been linked with an MLS switch.
Bertrand hasn’t been given many opportunities to challenge for Cole’s spot at left-back so far this season and both are currently being kept out of the first XI by Spanish international Cesar Azpilicueta, who specialises as a right-back.
Shaw has had a bright start to his Premier League career and the 18-year-old has established himself as a valuable member of Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton squad.
The left-back has been a Chelsea fan since he was a boy and it’s thought that he would relish a switch to his boyhood club as long as Southampton can be persuaded to sell and certain promises over his future are made as he’s a regular in his current side and wouldn’t want to warm the bench too much.
Southampton have a good tradition when it comes to the development of young players and have seen the likes of Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale go on to big things – especially the latter who became the most valuable player on the planet with his record move to Real Madrid in the summer.
Currently Pochettino’s side boast promising young talents like Shaw, Adam Lallana, James Ward-Prowse and Calum Chambers – some of which the Chelsea lads will have to keep an eye on today.
