The Automatic Saints News Thread

Southampton Football Club
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Sourced from Hotspur HQ (Weblog)

Tottenham Hoping to Sign Toby Alderweireld Soon

The ongoing saga regarding Tottenham target Toby Alderweireld is heating up.

The Mirror reported yesterday that the North London club received a “huge boost” after Atlético Madrid cancelled Southampton’s fee of £6.8 million for a better offer.

Tottenham are now able to offer an initial bid at landing the 26-year-old center-back, after Daniel Levy took it upon himself to fly over to Madrid to complete the deal as soon as possible. At the same time though, Atlético Madrid wants to hear multiple offers that are on the table. It’ll allow Southampton a chance to start a bidding war with Tottenham in order to capture Alderweireld’s signature.

Bidding wars aren’t good when big spending clubs are involved along with Spurs.

But because Southampton can’t compete with Tottenham — financially speaking — if Daniel Levy submits a high bid, initially, then a deal would be finalized quickly.

However, the Daily Echo’s article talks about the status of this ongoing situation.

“Atlético, who are now understood to be willing to sell, are due back for pre-season training on Wednesday and there is an expectation that a decision could be made by the end of next week, if not by the time they actually return.“

That quote shouldn’t be surprising given the timing right now — it’s pre-season.

Continuing on, the Daily Echo feels that both clubs have a realistic shot.

“Alderweireld is certainly on record as saying he would like to stay at Saints, and his representatives are understood to have also made positive noises towards the club at the end of last season. Spurs do have the attraction of being able to partner Alderweireld with his international teammate, Jan Vertonghen, at the heart of defence, and are hopeful he will see London as a more convenient base.“

With Atlético Madrid looking for £11 million, this signing would become Mauricio Pochettino’s highest transfer. His current record was £5 million for Dele Alli from this past January in the winter transfer window.

If Daniel Levy is able to put down £12 million it should force Southampton to back out of the bidding war right away without putting down an offer. The only way for the Saints to continue negotiations would be going as high as £13 million or more.

Southampton could win Toby Alderweireld’s signature, but at double the price of what they originally wanted. Should anywhere above £11-12 million be too much for the Saints, with Levy only willing to go as high as £15 million, it could leave Tottenham in the driver’s seat to sign Toby Alderweireld.

Everyone should expect more updates from media outlets within the next few days.

222

Sourced from Daily Mail

Chelsea and Barcelona to battle it out for Atletico star Arda Turan

223

Sourced from Squawka

Reports: Schneiderlin wants to join Man United ASAP, Van Gaal wants deal done in days

Manchester United are planning an improved offer for Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, after their initial bid of £20 million was rejected, as per the Guardian.

Meanwhile, the newspaper also reports that the Frenchman is eager to join Man United as soon as possible, while Louis van Gaal wants the transfer done in 10 days so Schneiderlin can go on tour with the Red Devils.

The 25-year-old has become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League over the past few seasons and is reportedly high on Van Gaal’s wishlist this summer.

However, Southampton are determined to not be bullied into a sale and value the Frenchman at around £30 million, though United believe they can get their man for closer to £25 million, as per the aforementioned source.

United are keen to strengthen their squad this summer after finishing fourth in the league and have identified central midfield as one of their main priorities during the transfer window.

A number of big names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, including Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, as per Manchester Evening News, but it now appears as though Schneiderlin is the club’s number one target.

Having added the likes of Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria and Juan Mata to their ranks over the last 18 months, United are keen to bring in a more defensive-minded midfielder to the squad.

Schneiderlin would certainly fit the bill, having made the won the third most tackles of any midfielder in the Premier League last season, despite only playing 26 games.

The French international also completed 89% of his passes last term and weighed in with four goals, showing he is capable of playing further forward if required to do so.

Manchester United are hoping to tie up a move for Schneiderlin over the next week as Louis van Gaal makes plans for their Champions League campaign, as reported by the newspaper.

Schneiderlin scored three of his four Premier League goals away from home last season.

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Originally posted by @Optimus-Trousers

Sourced from Daily and Sunday Express

Nathaniel Clyne wanted Manchester United move before joining second choice Liverpool

Despite being “delighted” to sign for Liverpool, The Guardian claim Old Trafford was the right-back’s preferred destination. Clyne became Liverpool’s sixth summer signing after moving to Merseyside from Southampton for £12.5million.

United reportedly considered a bid but opted against a deal, paving the way for Reds boss Brendan Rodgers to swoop for the England defender. Clyne is thought to have wanted Champions League football but was so intent on leaving the Saints he opted for his second choice club.

United could turn their attention to Everton’s Seamus Coleman in their own search for a new right-back. The Irishman is valued at around £20m by the Toffees and United could use Jonny Evans as bait for the 26-year-old. Dani Alves was a top target for Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal but the Brazilian signed a two-year contract to stay Barcelona. Van Gaal is expected to step up his interest in Sergio Ramos, with the Dutchman set to demand the Real Madrid star in any deal that involves David de Gea going in the opposite direction.

Hmm, that doesn’t sound great. Almost as if Clyne wanted out at any cost. Whatever it is, England place, money or CL football, got to be addressed before this stops happening.

225

Sourced from Squawka

Reports: Schneiderlin to Man United expected to be completed at second time of asking

Manchester United are expected to complete the signing of Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, according to talkSPORT. Meanwh

The Saints reportedly rejected a £20-million bid from the Red Devils for the Frenchman two days ago with the South Coast side wanting a fee closer to the £25-million mark, reported the Independent. Meanwhile, Goal report he is set to sign a contract worth £100,000-a-week for four years.

Burt: Schneiderlin is the “easiest” deal for Man United to complete

However, talkSPORT’s insider Warren Haughton believes that it will only be a matter of time before Schneiderlin completes his much-anticipated move to Old Trafford.

“It wouldn’t surprise me [that a deal was already done],” he said.

“They’re not a million miles away from agreeing a fee there, £20 million was rejected so you get the feeling that United will come back and look to get that done.”

North London pair Arsenal and Tottenham are also said to be keen on the player, as per the Evening Standard, but a move to the Theatre of Dreams now seems Schneiderlin’s likeliest destination.

Boss Louis van Gaal is desperate to add some much-needed steel to his midfield this summer and given that Schneiderlin was one of the stand-out anchormen in the top flight last campaign, the Frenchman could be the perfect solution.

The France international was outstanding for Ronald Koeman’s side last term helping the club mount a top-four challenge.

Southampton ended the season in seventh place but many thought they’d struggle considering the number of stars that they sold last summer.

The Frenchman was one of the players they did manage to keep hold of though, despite interest from Spurs and they will have been glad that they were able to persuade the 25-year-old to stay for at least one more season, as he was a key figure in their starting line-up.

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Sourced from United Ramble (Weblog)

Manchester United set to make £25million improved offer for midfielder - United Ramble

Manchester United are set to make an improved offer of £25million at the start of next week for Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton, the asking price from the saints.

Louis van Gaal will pursue his interest in French midfielder Schneiderlin, with The Dutchman reportedly keen to seal a move before the club embark on their United States tour on July 13th.

United had an offer of under £25million for the 25-year-old rejected late last month, with Saints boss Ronald Koeman insisting just last week that the club have had “no serious bid” from their Premier League rivals yet.

Southampton are reportedly looking for closer to £30million for their long-serving Frenchman, who has expressed his desire to play Champions League football numerous times.

According to the Guardian, United will return with a second offer for Schneiderlin in the hope to reach an agreement with Southampton. The club believe that £25million will be enough to secure the player, with the midfielder himself keen to join.

227

Sourced from The Sport Review

Transfer round-up: Man Utd to sign Schneiderlin, Chelsea want Rudiger | Football

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Toby…sign the blooooody papers for the mighty Saints. :laughing:

1 Like
229

Sourced from The Irish Independent

United to up the ante with new Schneiderlin bid

Manchester United are poised to make a second bid for Morgan Schneiderlin after Southampton rejected an opening offer of around £20m for the midfielder.

Louis van Gaal is keen to add the Frenchman to his squad before the club fly out for the summer tour of the United States on July 13. That leaves United with nine days to complete the deal before landing in Seattle to start the four-game trip, and Schneiderlin is keen to join as soon as possible.

Van Gaal is determined to avoid another poor start to the season, after last term’s yield of only 13 points from the opening 10 matches, and also has a Champions League final qualification knock-out round to negotiate to enter the group stage, to be played over two legs in mid-August, the first leg of which is after two league games.

Van Gaal has been told by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward that United must be serious challengers again next season. To meet this demand the Dutchman wants to strengthen the squad with at least one midfielder, a right-back and a striker, should Robin van Persie complete his switch to Turkish side Fenerbahce - the Dutchman agreed personal terms yesterday, although it is thought that the clubs still have to reach an agreement for a transfer fee.

So far only Memphis Depay has been added in this window, and with the campaign starting on August 8, Van Gaal is conscious that time is beginning to press if he is to have a fully strengthened and settled squad for then. The opening fixture with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford is just over a week after United return from the US.

Although Southampton hope to sell Schneiderlin for around £30m, United believe they can acquire the 25-year-old for a fee of closer to £25m. If the south coast club continue to resist, Schneiderlin could consider direct action.

Last summer he tweeted his outrage when Southampton refused to sell him to any interested parties, halting a move to Tottenham. The player, who can operate in a holding role or as a more dynamic midfielder, admitted considering going on strike.

After the Dutchman declined to sign Nathaniel Clyne despite United being his first-choice - the England international has since signed for Liverpool - Van Gaal has revived his interest in Ireland international Seamus Coleman. Van Gaal had hoped to land the 26-year-old Everton right-back in the winter window but the deal did not happen then.

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This all needs to be condensed somehow. No way any of this is going to get read.

1 Like
231

Sourced from The Peoples Person (Weblog)

Man United to make second Morgan Schneiderlin offer | Man Utd News

Manchester United are expected to step up their pursuit of Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin with an improved offer this week.

An initial offer of £20m for the French midfielder was rejected by Southampton but Louis van Gaal is keen to land the 25-year-old before flying to USA on July 13 for the pre-season.

That leaves United with a relatively short space of ten days in which to complete a deal for Schneiderlin in a transfer which, up until this point, has moved forward relatively slowly.

We’ve said it before on The Peoples Person but Schneiderlin would be such a fantastic and smart signing by Van Gaal because he perfectly suits the No.6 role which United need to improve next season.

The Guardian says an offer in the region of £25m would be enough to land Schneiderlin and that’s a fair price for a ready made, Premier League proven midfielder who could add so much to United’s squad next season.

With the Champions League now just a play-off away, Van Gaal knows he needs to improve his squad with some new signings in order to compete on all fronts.

United do have enough time left in the summer transfer window to secure the signings Van Gaal wants but Ed Woodward must try and avoid a late rush for the third summer in a row with United.

232

Sourced from The Sport Review

Three reasons Arsenal should sign Arturo Vidal over Morgan Schneiderlin | Football

Arturo Vidal, the Chile international, has top quality experience when it comes to the covenanted Champions League competition as Juventus reached the final last season, where they lost to Barcelona 3-1. Compared to Morgan Schneiderlin, the young 25-year-old from France, who has never experience such demanding European football, Vidal could help Arsenal get further than the last 16 as they have done in the previous seasons. This could also persuade and be a deciding factor for manager Arsene Wenger to go for the more experienced player in Vidal.

With Vidal being 28 years old, he brings a lot of experience from Serie A, having won major trophies with the Italian side Juventus. Since signing for the club in 2011, Vidal has won the Coppa Italia, Serie A four times and the Supercoppa Italia twice. It is his commanding presence on the field for Juventus and Chile that could entice the London side to sign Vidal over Schneiderlin. Not to mention, having played on an international level with Arsenal star midfielder Alexis Sanchez, Vidal could easily fit into the team and also help surprise comeback king Francis Coquelin in his game. The Gunners would have to pay in the region of £21m for the player, however with competition gaining from Manchester United for Southampton’s holding midfielder Schneiderlin, Wenger might choose to go the other way and sign a well respected midfielder who has recently been on form in the Copa America.

Vidal has not only won club honours, he has individual honours to his name. He has won the Juventus Player of the Year, Chilean Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Season. Although Schneiderlin has youth on his side, and could well gain as much credit as Vidal, Arsene Wenger is known for choosing experienced players with a great attitude to football. Vidal has 35 goals in 125 appearances for Juventus, 12 goals in 68 appearances for Chile, by adding this player into the mix, Arsenal could potentially have one of the most dominant midfields on and off the bench in the Premier League.

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The computers are taking over, pap just invented skynet

2 Likes
234

Sourced from IBTimes.co.uk

Manchester United ready second bid to bring Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin to Old Trafford

Manchester United are reportedly set to make a second bid for Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, after their initial £20m ($31.1m) bid was rejected by the south coast club.

According to the Guardian, Louis van Gaal is keen to complete the deal before the Red Devils depart for their pre-season tour to the United States on 13 July.

The Dutchman wants to strengthen his team before the pre-season as he looks to have a settled lineup ahead of the start of the Premier League season on 8 August. United also have a final Champions League qualification knockout game before the start of the domestic campaign.

The former Bayern Munich manager has made signing a deep lying midfielder a priority this summer, as he seeks a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick, and has identified Schneiderlin as the perfect candidate following his impressive performance for the Saints in the last two campaigns.

Schneiderlin was subject to interest from Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger a big admirer of his compatriot, but Southampton’s asking price and the emergence of Francis Coquelin, according to the Daily Mail, has seen the Gunners pull out of the race and focus their attention elsewhere.

The report claims that Ronald Koeman’s side want a fee of around £30m to part with the player, but United are said to be confident that they can land the player for a fee close to the £25m-mark.

Van Gaal has reportedly been told by the club hierarchy that his team need to challenge for the title during the upcoming campaign, after they settled for a place in the top four in his debut season in-charge of the club. The manager has called for some very good signings to mount a challenge against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.

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Sourced from Sky Sports

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos responds to Man Utd talk

Manchester United target Sergio Ramos has told Spanish television that he is “not negotiating with anyone” as speculation over his future continues.

The Real Madrid defender, 29, is said to be keen to leave the Bernabeu after 10 years in the Spanish capital, with Old Trafford said to be his destination of choice.

United made a bid of £28.6m last week, according to Sky sources, with Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert Graham Hunter reporting that the Spain international had made his desire to leave very clear to Real Madrid, although publicly he has remained coy.

“I am not negotiating with anyone,” he told Canal Cuatro, when asked how negotiations were going.

He was subsequently asked if he would therefore be staying with Rafa Benitez’s side, to which he simply replied: “All is very well.”

Ramos has made 313 league appearance for Los Blancos since joining in 2005, scoring 40 goals during which time the club have won three La Liga titles as well as scoring in the final as they won their tenth European Cup in 2014.

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Sourced from Daily Echo

Davis supports Southampton’s decision to sign Stekelenburg

KELVIN Davis has welcomed the signing of new goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, even though it reduces his chances of playing this season.

The Dutch stopper moved to St Mary’s last month, on a season-long loan deal from Fulham, to bridge the gap while Fraser Forster recovers from a serious knee injury.

The 32-year-old’s arrival means that Davis is again set to play a back-up role this term, but the club captain has no hard feelings about Ronald Koeman’s decision to bring another keeper in.

“I think for a few seasons now, the writing’s on the wall in terms of what the manager’s looked to do, and last season again he said to me there would be another goalkeeper coming in and I support that decision,” said Davis.

“There’s always only ever been one goalkeeper on the pitch at one time, and competition is good for everyone.

“I think the manager’s done what was expected, and let’s not forget that he’s brought an international goalkeeper to the club, with fantastic experience, and he’s a good lad as well. One that will fit into the dressing room nicely.”

Davis, 38, had finished last season in goal, after Forster suffered a patellar tendon injury in March.

With the recovery time from such a problem believed to be in the region of nine to 12 months, the England international is unlikely to be available until some point in 2016.

As well as Davis, Saints also have Paulo Gazzaniga, 23, on their books, and the Argentinian was given two games towards the end of the last campaign for Koeman to have a look at him.

Certainly to start with, Davis and Gazzaniga will be competing for a spot on the bench, rather than in the starting line-up.

However, Davis retains hope he can still play this season – in what will be the final one of his current contract.

If he is not involved, though, he insists he will continue to do everything he can to aid the team in his role as club captain.

“I like to think I’m not here just to make the numbers up,” he said.

“I hope that I can contribute and, whether that’s game time or behind the scenes, you can rest assured that I’ll be doing everything I can and everything in my power from whatever position I’m in.”

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Sourced from 101 Great Goals

Double whammy for Man United: Sergio Ramos wants to stay put, Schneiderlin prefers Arsenal [Sunday Times]

The front page of The Sunday Times’ sports section this weekend makes ugly reading for Manchester United fans.

In a double whammy, Duncan Castles reports that not only do Man United appear to be losing the race to sign Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid, but the Red Devils’ hopes of landing Southampton’s French international midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin appear to be slipping too.

According to the Times, Ramos wants to remain at Real, while Schneiderlin wants to move to Arsenal rather than United

Beginning with Ramos, the angle in The Times is that Los Blancos are now ready to make a financial compromise with the 29-year-old Spanish defender.

As reported in the broadsheet:

It is felt within the Santiago Bernabeu that the defender can still be convinced to remain with his employers of the last 10 seasons were he to be offered a new contract worth an annual €10million after-tax.

With the cost of replacing Ramos in a difficult market for central defenders certain to exceed that of meeting the 29-year-old’s wage demands, Madrid sources expect new terms to be settled between player and club before the summer window closes.

It’s worth noting that the angle promulgated in the Sunday Times ignores other reports which have come out of Spain, that have argued that Ramos’s desire to quit Real is nothing to do with money, but rather due to a breakdown in relations between the player and the club.

Switching to Schneiderlin, there is more bad news for United.

The Red Devils have already seen a 20 million pound offer rejected by the Saints, and now it’s being reported that the player himself would rather move to the Emirates Stadium. Duncan Castles claims:

The Frenchman has told friends that he would prefer to work with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal than sign for Van Gaal at United.

Schneiderlin feels that Arsenal’s more settled style of play is a better suit to his game, and is attracted to the idea of remaining in the South of England. He is not completely against joining United, however they remain a clear second-choice. Arsenal have yet to make an offer to Southampton.

One also suspects that Schneiderlin prefers the Gunners, as he is arguably more likely to lock down a first team place at Arsenal in comparison to Man United.

See a copy of the article in the Sunday Times below.

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Originally posted by @Optimus-Trousers

Sourced from Daily Echo

Davis supports Southampton’s decision to sign Stekelenburg

KELVIN Davis has welcomed the signing of new goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, even though it reduces his chances of playing this season.

The Dutch stopper moved to St Mary’s last month, on a season-long loan deal from Fulham, to bridge the gap while Fraser Forster recovers from a serious knee injury.

The 32-year-old’s arrival means that Davis is again set to play a back-up role this term, but the club captain has no hard feelings about Ronald Koeman’s decision to bring another keeper in.

“I think for a few seasons now, the writing’s on the wall in terms of what the manager’s looked to do, and last season again he said to me there would be another goalkeeper coming in and I support that decision,” said Davis.

“There’s always only ever been one goalkeeper on the pitch at one time, and competition is good for everyone.

“I think the manager’s done what was expected, and let’s not forget that he’s brought an international goalkeeper to the club, with fantastic experience, and he’s a good lad as well. One that will fit into the dressing room nicely.”

Davis, 38, had finished last season in goal, after Forster suffered a patellar tendon injury in March.

With the recovery time from such a problem believed to be in the region of nine to 12 months, the England international is unlikely to be available until some point in 2016.

As well as Davis, Saints also have Paulo Gazzaniga, 23, on their books, and the Argentinian was given two games towards the end of the last campaign for Koeman to have a look at him.

Certainly to start with, Davis and Gazzaniga will be competing for a spot on the bench, rather than in the starting line-up.

However, Davis retains hope he can still play this season – in what will be the final one of his current contract.

If he is not involved, though, he insists he will continue to do everything he can to aid the team in his role as club captain.

“I like to think I’m not here just to make the numbers up,” he said.

“I hope that I can contribute and, whether that’s game time or behind the scenes, you can rest assured that I’ll be doing everything I can and everything in my power from whatever position I’m in.”

I thought Kelvin Davis was retiring? Or have I just imagined that?

239

Sourced from The Busby Babe (Weblog)

Manchester United linked with moves for Atletico’s Arda Turan and Torino’s Matteo Darmian

Manchester United are reportedly keen on Atletico Madrid’s Arda Turan and Torino’s Matteo Darmian, as negotiations for Sergio Ramos and Morgan Schneiderlin drag on.

The Mirror have a story that United have made an approach for Arda Turan of Atletico Madrid, but he’s more interested in joining Chelsea. Chelsea have a better side and manager than United do, so you can see why he’d prefer a move to London than Manchester. That’s if he hasn’t already agreed a move to Barcelona anyway. You can read the story here.

In the Guardian, it appears that Robin van Persie has agreed terms with Fenerbahce, and is negotiating his sale from United as he still wants a year’s salary. He’s on enormous wages at the moment, so you can see why he’ll be making sure that his move to Turkey, for £5 million, doesn’t cost him. You can read about him here.

In ESPNFC, there’s quotes that Sergio Ramos is, ‘not negotiating with anyone.’ Which is quite true, obviously. His agent will be doing the negotiating, should any have taken place or be taking place. It’s a non-denial of any potential transfer to United, but doesn’t indicate any movement in the transfer.

The Sunday Times also has an article on Nani, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Ramos, but it’s not worth reading, and various emphatically Not Credible papers and sites have linked United with Torino fullback Matteo Darmian - wait to see if a grown up reports the story before getting excited.

240

Sourced from Sport Witness

Star ‘determined’ to complete move to Man United, convinced it will happen

French newspaper L’Equipe on Sunday claim that there’s not much worry around Morgan Schneiderlin about a transfer happening this summer, because he’s convinced that it’s going to happen. The Southampton midfielder is said to be determined that this is the transfer window in which he’ll move and there’s no great panic from his side that Southampton will hold things back for him.

Schneiderlin hasn’t started to kick his feet and there are no signs of discontent, all because he’s chilled about the situation with a serene confidence things will all get sorted out. L’Equipe say Manchester United remain the likely destination.

The French newspaper reckon the price will end up at around €30m, which isn’t too far from the figure passed around as Manchester United’s bid - however, there have been so many claims about Schneiderlin’s move to Manchester United that it’s hard to believe people can be so sure now. Last week, the great and good of the British press said there would be a medical and completion before Friday but then the deal seemed to start going backwards rather toward a Carrington unveiling.

If Southampton’s asking price is ‘just’ €30m then it does present the question as to why Edward Woodward doesn’t just get things done. It’s all well and good trying to squeeze every last million out of the transfer market but it shouldn’t be the overriding concern at Manchester United.