Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier says Tottenham would be the “obvious” destination for Luke Shaw if the defender decides to leave Manchester United.
Shaw joined United from Southampton in 2014 for a fee in the region of £30 million, but his career at Old Trafford has been blighted by injuries and dips in form.
The 22-year-old played his best football for the Saints at the age of 17 under the management of Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
As a result, there are often suggestions in the media that Tottenham could move for Shaw, a rumour that has gained momentum since Danny Rose’s future became uncertain.
Shaw was publicly criticised by Jose Mourinho’s after being substituted at half-time during United’s 2-0 win over Brighton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Since then, there have been numerous reports claiming Shaw will leave United at the end of the season.
A possible return to Southampton has been touted, but Le Tissier thinks Shaw is more likely to join Spurs.
“Having worked with Pochettino before and spoken highly of him, it would seem obvious for him to go to Tottenham with Danny Rose potentially going the opposite way as he is obviously desperate to get back up north,” Le Tissier told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think Southampton could compete in the wages department and the player would probably look at it as a backward move, so he would probably think he is worthy of playing for a club competing for the Premier League title.”
Rose’s recent performances could be a stumbling block. The 27-year-old has struggled to rediscover his best form since returning from a long-term knee injury he suffered over a year ago.
If Rose doesn’t improve, there’s a chance United will end their interest in him, which could also affect Shaw’s future.
What reason would Tottenham have to sign Luke Shaw? None that come to mind. Otherwise it’s like presuming that Pochettino is looking to sign fellow Argentinians, or that he’s on the look-out to sign players he used to coach and manage at Southampton of which there have been quite a few. Another club might like to foist Shaw on Tottenham, not because it cares about him one way or another, as part of a clear-out and as leverage to sign a Spurs player. And there’d be nothing sentimental about that either, because it’s not as if they’re fans of Danny Rose if he too is now as flawed as (far more seriously) the badly treated and publicly humiliated Luke Shaw seems to have become.