Not for quite some time has one side been targeted so much during a transfer window. This summer has seen Southampton lose their manager and several of their key players, with most of them interestingly all heading to the same club. Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and now Dejan Lovren have joined Liverpool, whilst Calum Chambers, touted as a star of the future, has moved to Arsenal. French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has attracted the interest of several sides, but the latest name to be linked with a transfer is that of arguably the most important player they have left.
According to Talksport, Jay Rodriguez could leave the Saints, despite the striker currently being sidelined with a serious injury. One of the clubs who are reportedly interested in signing him is one Southampton have surely heard enough from during the last couple of months: Liverpool. There have also been rumours of the former Burnley star, who turns 25 tomorrow, linking up with his former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.
From 2010 to 2012, Rodriguez scored 29 goals in 79 Championship games for his hometown club from Lancashire before being snapped up by Southampton for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million. The forward’s debut campaign on the south coast was nothing special, but a tally of 15 goals in 33 Premier League games last season made people take notice. Roy Hodgson was one of those who acknowledged Rodriguez’s progression, as the England manager handed him his first cap for his country in November.
With many believing he had a good chance of making the plane to Brazil were it not for his injury, the player’s achievements at the top level have made him a wanted man. As the Saints continue to collect large sums of cash for their stars, Rodriguez’s reputation means he could be next.