• Premier League

Chelsea and United warned off Shaw

ESPN staff
March 31, 2014
Luke Shaw has captured the interest of Chelsea and Man Utd, and has been linked with Man City and Liverpool © PA Photos
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Southampton have warned clubs eyeing Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez that the they are not for sale.

Manchester United have reportedly joined Chelsea in the race to sign left-back Shaw this summer and the coveted England player has also been linked with Liverpool and Manchester City.

Southampton announced a net loss of £7.1 million for last season on Monday but club director Hans Hofstetter insists player sales are not on the agenda, with manager Mauricio Pochettino given the green light to strengthen the squad in the summer.

"The most important point is that we are in a position where we do not need to sell any player Mauricio wants to keep," Hofstetter told BBC Radio Solent.

"We have a very strong squad and we are still in a situation where we are free enough to act quickly if quick action is asked from us."

Hofstetter admitted that Southampton's new owners had inherited a "difficult financial situation" in the wake of Nicola Cortese's resignation in January, with £27m in outstanding transfer fees and a £30m bill for the club's new Staplewood training facility yet to be settled.

Past Southampton managers have had to stand by while players as good as Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahve been sold to bring money into the club, but new club chairman Ralph Krueger is determined not to follow that path.

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