Saints have spent £73m on players in the last two seasons and have one of the highest net spends in the Premier League. They would be better off keeping Shaw and continue to spend circa £35m each summer to add to the squad.
Your 'position' was reference to a club that historically has not spent 10's of millions on players on a regular basis. If you can get around 30 million for Shaw and invest that money wisely, you'd ultimately be better off. For example, our very own Ryan Bertrand would probably be available for under 10 million, still young, a champions league winner and been capped by England. Swapping Shaw for Bertrand and having 20-25 million to spend elsewhere could potentially improve your side than keeping Shaw (and either he doesn't reach the heights you hope or he leaves later on). See a lot of defensive saints on here but lets be honest, a club like United come calling and the outcome is pretty inevitable. Saying the club have asked for 40 million means jack ****. It's a hard ball position that wont be maintained because there is no competition for his signature (by the looks of it anyway) so the price wont be pushed up like the Luiz deal was (Bayern and Barca both linked so PSG had to get in quick and pay over the odds). How many times have we heard the 'we don't have to sell', 'he's under contract' etc and the player ultimately leaves. Every summer.
I have no idea about Southamptons finances, as stated many times, nothing puts me to sleep faster than discussing financials. I also have no idea what your board are like when it comes to pocketing cash. Roman and Mansour obv dont give a **** because they have more many than many countries. The Arsenal board love to sup it up with a sponge and buy ferrari's and do coke off of hookers navals, rather than buy players (that may not be true).
How is that relevant? Since 2009 Saints have been owned by a billionaire, first Markus and then Katharina Liebherr. In the last two seasons they have spent £73m on players, £30m+ improving the training ground and have one of the highest net spends in the Premier League. The Southampton of 2009 to 2014 is a very different beast to anything you knew of the club before.
That may well be the case but you are over looking one massive factor in this, Shaw himself. Clubs rarely keep players that want to leave and either publically or behind the scenes do you really think he'll want to stay if United are knocking? United have appointed a world class coach and are about to embark on a squad overhaul that means even as an 18 year old, he'll be pretty much a guaranteed starter at the biggest club in the country and probably competing for top honours. He may not get the chance again so really it's a no brainer. You could turn down massive money and force him to stay but realistically it wont happen. It never does.
Thats kind of the point though, he is good enough to do a job for Southampton. Southampton FC isnt close to Luke Shaw's ability. You cant keep a player like that for very long because the bigger clubs will offer him more money and a chance to win trophies.
that wasnt really massive money though was it, for a player of his ilk. ****, saints are asking for the same amount for Luke Shaw. Plus your chairman is a lying, cheating bell end. (props to him though, it worked). And Liverpool are a little bit of a bigger club than Saints!
So far, its been exactly like last summer; media bullshit. I expected Suarez to go last summer and I'm convinced he'll go this but only if someone offers the cash for him. If he goes, he goes...
Lets be honest, He had a release clause in his contract, for a paultry amount, no one else was interested because Suarez was still seen as a problem child, that was activated by a club no bigger than Liverpool. And the only reason he stayed was because your chairman lied and chose to disregard it. Its worlds apart from a club like Man Utd trying to take a player from a relative minnow like Southampton. Its also worlds apart from Barca or Madrid taking a player from Liverpool
Hilarious that Liverpool are comparing themselves to Southampton now. And saints think they are a big enough club to keep their star players
It is worlds apart, I was just responded to the "You could turn down massive money and force him to stay but realistically it wont happen. It never does." part
Because they're about to offer 350k a week. Last summer he stayed, this time he won't. Therefore this summers situation will be different to last summers in that he WILL leave. I'm only too glad to clear that up.
