Rickie Lambert transfer could be first of mass exodus from Southampton
Rickie Lambert’s impending £4.5m transfer to Liverpool and
Manchester United’s race to sign Luke Shaw before the World Cup could be
the start of a mass exodus from Southampton, with the managerless south
coast club in a state of flux that threatens to impact their prospects
of starting next season with a strong squad.
After Mauricio Pochettino left St Mary’s on Tuesday to become the Tottenham Hotspur manager, the club continue to search for his replacement. Les Reed, the director of football, is having to deal with the sale of Lambert and the pursuit of Shaw by United, and several others, while also determining the futures of a number of players including Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Dejan Lovren.
Lambert is due to have a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after Southampton accepted a revised offer from Liverpool for the England striker. The 32-year-old was the subject of a £4m plus add-ons bid on Thursday by the Anfield club, who became aware of availability during their inquiries for Southampton’s captain Lallana, and the Croatian central defender Lovren. Both those players are of interest to Pochettino and Spurs, too, with the Argentinian manager also having targeted Rodriguez, their currently injured team-mate.
Discussions over the structure of the deal for Lambert, with Liverpool offering several performance-related payments, continued on Friday when Southampton accepted £4.5m up front, plus add-ons.
Lambert will be involved in England’s World Cup warm-up game against Peru at Wembley on Friday and, barring any problems, will then travel to Merseyside to become Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer. He is believed to have agreed personal terms with Liverpool, the team he supported as a boy but who released him as a teenager, and the transfer is expected to be completed by Monday. They are also continuing to pursue his St Mary’s club-mates but have not reached agreement on fees for Lallana or Lovren.
United are racing against the clock to sign Shaw. The club are heartened after he again made them his No1 choice but are conscious that once England leave their World Cup training camp for Brazil next weekend there will be little chance of buying him until after the tournament.
Shaw, having considered his options over the past week, is intent on signing for United though there is no cast-iron guarantee Old Trafford is where he will start next season.
Although the left-back has accepted the possibility that his future may not be determined until after the World Cup, there is still hope United can complete a deal before next weekend. England fly to their Miami camp tomorrow following last night’s warm-up game against Peru at Wembley.
The camp in Florida ends on Saturday week before Roy Hodgson’s squad leave for Brazil ahead of the tournament’s start on 12 June, which is the following Thursday. Any deal for Shaw could still be sealed before then though there is recognition on all sides that the preference for players is to focus solely on the competition in the final few days before it commences.
Southampton value Shaw at £30m, with United having previously made a bid of £27m, while offering him around £100,000 a week. Chelsea, one of a clutch of clubs that also want the left-back, are resistant to meeting the £30m price and, it is understood, would propose paying a weekly wage in the region of £60,000.
After United’s torrid summer last year regarding acquisitions, during which several deals failed to occur if a move for Shaw – or any other deal – is not completed before the tournament, the club could again face an equally trying close-season.
As Louis van Gaal, the new manager and current Holland coach, does not take over until after his involvement in Brazil ends, the 62-year-old could begin his tenure as late as mid-July with his squad having yet to be strengthened in what has been identified by the club as a crucial summer of rebuilding.
After Mauricio Pochettino left St Mary’s on Tuesday to become the Tottenham Hotspur manager, the club continue to search for his replacement. Les Reed, the director of football, is having to deal with the sale of Lambert and the pursuit of Shaw by United, and several others, while also determining the futures of a number of players including Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Dejan Lovren.
Lambert is due to have a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after Southampton accepted a revised offer from Liverpool for the England striker. The 32-year-old was the subject of a £4m plus add-ons bid on Thursday by the Anfield club, who became aware of availability during their inquiries for Southampton’s captain Lallana, and the Croatian central defender Lovren. Both those players are of interest to Pochettino and Spurs, too, with the Argentinian manager also having targeted Rodriguez, their currently injured team-mate.
Discussions over the structure of the deal for Lambert, with Liverpool offering several performance-related payments, continued on Friday when Southampton accepted £4.5m up front, plus add-ons.
Lambert will be involved in England’s World Cup warm-up game against Peru at Wembley on Friday and, barring any problems, will then travel to Merseyside to become Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer. He is believed to have agreed personal terms with Liverpool, the team he supported as a boy but who released him as a teenager, and the transfer is expected to be completed by Monday. They are also continuing to pursue his St Mary’s club-mates but have not reached agreement on fees for Lallana or Lovren.
United are racing against the clock to sign Shaw. The club are heartened after he again made them his No1 choice but are conscious that once England leave their World Cup training camp for Brazil next weekend there will be little chance of buying him until after the tournament.
Shaw, having considered his options over the past week, is intent on signing for United though there is no cast-iron guarantee Old Trafford is where he will start next season.
Although the left-back has accepted the possibility that his future may not be determined until after the World Cup, there is still hope United can complete a deal before next weekend. England fly to their Miami camp tomorrow following last night’s warm-up game against Peru at Wembley.
The camp in Florida ends on Saturday week before Roy Hodgson’s squad leave for Brazil ahead of the tournament’s start on 12 June, which is the following Thursday. Any deal for Shaw could still be sealed before then though there is recognition on all sides that the preference for players is to focus solely on the competition in the final few days before it commences.
Southampton value Shaw at £30m, with United having previously made a bid of £27m, while offering him around £100,000 a week. Chelsea, one of a clutch of clubs that also want the left-back, are resistant to meeting the £30m price and, it is understood, would propose paying a weekly wage in the region of £60,000.
After United’s torrid summer last year regarding acquisitions, during which several deals failed to occur if a move for Shaw – or any other deal – is not completed before the tournament, the club could again face an equally trying close-season.
As Louis van Gaal, the new manager and current Holland coach, does not take over until after his involvement in Brazil ends, the 62-year-old could begin his tenure as late as mid-July with his squad having yet to be strengthened in what has been identified by the club as a crucial summer of rebuilding.
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