Despite upping their already substantial bid of £20mil by an extra £5mil with a take it or leave it offer, Adam Lallana’s proposed move to Liverpool has been left hanging with the Southampton board issuing a warning that no further transfers would be permitted until a new manager is in place on the South coast.
Yesterday, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers completed his first transfer of the summer with the Northern Irishman bringing in striker Rickie Lambert from the Saints for £4mil + add-ons, but it looks like his former captain won’t be following him to Anfield anytime soon. Although there was no timeline placed on Southampton to make a decision, it’s a well known fact that Rodgers would like to complete the bulk of his transfer dealings before the World Cup, leaving the clock ticking away on the move.
“We are staying true to our plan and vision and, as a result, we have no need to accept any offers,” said Southampton in a statement following Lambert’s move to Merseyside. “We are deep in the process of appointing a new manager, who will continue to move our club forward. It remains our preference not to partake in any transfers until the new manager is in place.”
With former Saint’s boss Mauricio Pochettino jumping ship for the vacant spot at Tottenham Hotspur, the managerless South Coast side are looking like easy pickings for clubs looking to snatch up a number of their stars. The Reds are also known to hold an interest in Croatian center half Dejan Lovern, but much like Lallana, a transfer request may be the only way out of St. Mary’s in the immediate future.
