Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez are understood to be close to linking-up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham as Southampton’s summer sale continues.
After achieving their best ever Premier League finish last season, the odds on Saints getting relegated this time around are shortening by the day.
Arsenal completed the signing of highly-rated right-back Calum Chambers yesterday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Dejan Lovren joined Liverpool in a £20million (Dh124.8m) deal.
The Croatia international has followed Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana in moving to Anfield, while teenage left-back Luke Shaw recently departed for Manchester United. Those transfers came in the wake of manager Pochettino and his staff leaving for Spurs, where two of his former Saints charges could be plying their trade next term.
Tottenham have stepped up their interest in Schneiderlin and Rodriguez, with the pair edging closer to White Hart Lane. Saints are said to be asking for £27m (Dh168.4m) for midfielder Schneiderlin, who joined the club from Strasbourg in 2008 and played a key role in their rise from League One to the top-flight. The 24-year-old represented France at this summer’s World Cup and has attracted interest from Arsenal, although he is understood to favour a move to Spurs so he can work with Pochettino again.
The former Argentina international is also in for Rodriguez, despite the England forward currently being sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The 25-year-old has been at St Mary’s since joining from hometown club Burnley two years ago and made his Three Lions debut in November’s friendly against Chile.
Southampton executive director Les Reed has come under fire for this summer’s transfer activity – with Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle the only arrivals so far – and attempted to allay fans’ fears after Chambers’ departure to Arsenal.
He said: “It is important in the transfer window to remain calm, resilient and above all patient. We have targets, and we are working hard to get them across the line
