Tottenham Hotspur will renew their interest in Jay Rodriguez when the transfer window reopens, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph.
As well as losing head coach Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs in the summer, Southampton also saw a number of the players who led them eight in last season’s Premier League depart. Liverpool took club captain Adam Lallana, striker Rickie Lambert and key defender Dejan Lovren, whilst Manchester United signed Luke Shaw and Arsenal were able to land Calum Chambers.
It looked at one stage as though Morgan Schneiderlin and Rodriguez would follow through the exit door, with Pochettino keen to reunite both at White Hart Lane. However, the Argentine coach found the not for sale signs up when he came knocking, and whilst he is expected to cool his interest in the midfielder, it is being suggested that he will move for the England striker in January.
Rodriguez top scored for the Saints with 15 goals in 33 league games last term, but his campaign was cruelly ended in early April when he damaged his knee ligaments in a 4-1 defeat at Manchester City. The 25-year-old is still recovering from this injury, but he is making good progress and Ronald Koeman hopes to have him back in first team contention sometime in the coming four weeks.
The Dutch coach, who has led the St Mary’s outfit to second in the current standings, is unlikely to be overly keen to let the former Burnley striker leave, but at the same time he has been delighted with the form of Graziano Pelle, who has scored six goals in nine appearances. Further, Rodriguez is in the final 18 months left of his contract, so £15million would be difficult to refuse.
There is also a suggestion that Koeman could ask for Andros Townsend as part of the deal. The England international was a target for Southampton in the summer, but Spurs refused to do business with the club whilst they were stubbornly refusing to listen to offers for Rodriguez or Schneiderlin after they had poached Pochettino. It could be different in the New Year though, especially as the winger looks to be out of favour having made just three substitute appearances in the league this term.
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