Southampton Football Club have warned other Premier League suitors that midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin won’t be sold for any less than £27million. The Saints have already netted £78 million this summer in the sales of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren to Liverpool, and Luke Shaw to Manchester United. And if Southampton manage to sell Schneiderlin for the club’s asking price, the Saints will have generated more than £100million in sales from selling five of its star players.
Speculation in the British press is that Schneiderlin is coveted by Arsenal and Tottenham.
Arsene Wenger has kept a close eye on the player due to his French ties and, of course, Mauricio Pochettino managed the midfielder at Southampton before his move to White Hart Lane. It is believed that the Argentine boss wants Schneiderlin to take over for the less desirable Sandro in Tottenham’s midfield.
But the club have stressed that it has no intention of selling Schneiderlin and, if bids were to be submitted, they hope that their valuation of the 24-year-old would serve as a deterrent.
New Southampton boss Ronald Koeman will meet the France international for the first time on Monday, when the midfielder reports for pre-season training. Schneiderlin has been on holiday since France were eliminated from the World Cup.
Koeman has spoken to the Schneiderlin by phone, but plans on stressing to him how fundamental the player is to the project at St Mary’s.
The midfielder joined Southampton at the age of 18 from Strasbourg in 2008, when the club was in the Championship. He has also played for the Saints while they were in League One.
Schneiderlin has scored 10 goals during his time at St. Mary’s and has made 205 appearances.
