Premier League duo Chelsea and Tottenham are hoping to use the uncertainty surrounding Southampton to land Luke Shaw.
There is something of a power struggle going on at St Mary’s at the moment and manager Mauricio Pochettino has threatened to leave the Hampshire club if chairman Nicola Cortese goes.
The Express believe that London rivals Chelsea and Spurs may seek to exploit the situation as they seek to recruit promising 17-year-old fullback Shaw.
Shaw revealed on Twitter that he is a Chelsea fan which could give the club some sort of edge when it comes to making a decision on his future should he leave Southampton this summer, but ultimately he’s likely to go to the club that offers him the better opportunity.
Andre Villas-Boas has already spoken of his admiration for him but refused to comment on the links:
“Any player who makes a breakthrough at the age that he has is absolutely unbelievable.
“He’s a wonderful footballer, for sure, but it doesn’t mean there is direct interest from Tottenham in the player. Transfer targets will be discussed in the summer, and for now it is all speculation.”
(Express)
Because of his potential and the fact that he’s English the player is already rated at around £15 million which is a relatively high price to pay for a player of his age and position. For example, the last fullback we purchased was Cesar Azpilicueta at a reported £7 million and he’s been brilliant.
It could also be argued that Chelsea aren’t really in need of another left-back at this time as Ashley Cole will remain for at least one more season, Patrick van Aanholt has been tipped as someone that could potentially challenge him whilst Ryan Bertrand is a willing number two and a good one, despite the criticism aimed at him during a season in which he’s been played out of position and in drips and drabs. When Bertrand came in for Cole during his injury he did a good job.
However, it never really hurts to add home-grown talent to the team and when it comes to young English players with potential I’d rate Shaw highly, as well as his team-mate Nathaniel Clyne, and they could well be the Three Lions’ future fullback pairing. He’d be a good addition even if not a necessary one.
Source: The Express
