First Everton take Saints boss, now Liverpool trail winger
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All that’s left in Ronald Koeman’s move from Southampton to Everton is for the Dutch manager to pose for the obligatory welcome pictures and hold his first press conference.
Yet again, Southampton have watched as one of their leading lights, either on the pitch or in the dugout, leaves for a supposedly bigger club.
The list of Saints escapists grows with every passing summer and, if the latest transfer gossip columns are to be believed, there will be more names added to it before the current transfer window shuts.
According to the Sun, Liverpool – perhaps the most unashamed St Mary’s plunderers in the country – have their eyes set on another one of Southampton’s squad.
After signing Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne from the south coast club in the last two years, the Reds are making the now-familiar summer phone call to Southampton, this time for Sadio Mane.
The paper suggest Jurgen Klopp will table a £30m bid for the Senegalese star, who contributed 11 goals and six assists to the Saints as they secured a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Ironically, that position in the table was higher than both of the Merseyside clubs who now wish to pilfer the Saints’ managerial and playing talent for themselves.
It seems nothing but regular Champions League football will stop other teams from raiding Southampton’s cupboards and if Mane were to bolt for Anfield it begs the question; who else will leave?
Graziano Pelle has been a consistent Premier League performer since arriving on these shores, while Shane Long has been linked with former Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino’s current employers at Tottenham.
Virgil van Dijk, who arrived shortly after the start of last season from Celtic, quickly adapted to the English top flight and could attract interest as well, while Victor Wanyama is never far from a rumour linking him with a move.
Koeman’s Southampton exit may not necessarily trigger another exodus at the club, but few would be surprised if it did.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
