Can Southampton keep their key assets this summer?

Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite to take over at Tottenham

If the British media is to be believed it may be a case of “Would the last one out of Southampton please switch off the lights?” this summer.

Not only are their star players being heavily linked with moves, but their highly-rated boss is also being stalked by those predatory big clubs.

Boss

For some time now Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a move away from St. Marys.

Tottenham have been linked with the Argentinian for the while, but it seems he is now open to a move to White Hart Lane.

Spurs now have a vacant managerial seat and Pochettino is current favourite to fill it. Pochettino has impressed immensely since his surprise appointment in January 2013. His high pressing style of attacking football has been big hit with both players and fans.

The Saints are now considered one of the most attractive teams in the top-flight to watch and finished eighth in the Premier League table.

Youngsters

Pochettino very much believes in promoting young players from within in, which fits perfectly with Southampton’s excellent academy. The Saints youth set-up seems to produce a production line of talent.

At Espanyol, Pochettino promoted youngsters into the first team and firmly believed that was the best way to build a winning team, so the Argentine and Southampton were a perfect fit.

Outstanding

Two of the clubs academy graduates are in-demand this summer. Midfielder and captain Adam Lallana was outstanding last season and is now being heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, with Manchester United also credited with an interest.

Lallana is that rare thing, an English midfielder with guile, flair and technical ability. At 25 he is approaching his prime as a player. The midfielder always had technical ability, but he has now coupled that ability with a superb level of consistency.

His performances were always likely to attract the attention of the wealthier clubs in the top-flight and it seems the Saints could lose their influential star this summer.

Teenager Luke Shaw is one of the most highly-rated young full-back’s in European football. Shaw has a maturity beyond his 18 years and that is why he is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

According to the Guardian, Manchester United are readying a £30million bid for the England international, after a £27million bid is believed to have been turned down earlier this week. United are looking for a replacement for French international Patrice Evra, who looks set to leave on a free transfer this summer.

Manchester United are not the only club believed to be interested in signing Shaw though, as Chelsea look to rival United for the youngster’s expensive signature.

Another Southampton academy graduate Calum Chambers is also being linked with a move to Arsenal to replace the outgoing Bacary Sagna. The young full-back has played on a fairly regular basis for the Saints this season and has produced some impressive displays.

Progress

In recent seasons Southampton has made tremendous progress, not only under Pochettino but in general. The Saints have gone from a League One team to a comfortable midtable Premier League team in less than five years.

That is a tremendous achievement for the club from the south-coast. The club had been through some tough times both on and off the pitch in recent years, so everybody connected with the club deserves any success that comes their way.

Saints have always been a selling club because their youth set-up has always produced such talented players, with the likes of Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all being sold for a good profit in the past decade.

However, when those players were sold the Saints were in a much weaker position, both on and off the pitch. At the moment Southampton’s finance are relatively stable and the team has the potential to push up the league next season.

They are no longer the same club that struggled to maintain their status in the top-flight and then the Championship. At the moment the Saints are in a very strong position and a mass exodus would heavily effect that position.

Money Talks

Unfortunately money talks in football and every player seems to have their price. It would be a crying shame for Southampton to lose their boss and their star players just as they were threatening to move up a level.

However, it seems that this summer that progression could stall if star players are sold off. I suppose it is just a modern reality that few clubs outside the top-four can afford to keep their players and even for those find it hard sometimes. For Southampton it may just prove impossible this summer.

Can Southampton keep their key assets this summer?