Liverpool remain the favourites to sign Adam Lallana this summer, after Mauricio Pochettino reportedly decided against raiding his former club for the player.
Having left Southampton for Tottenham Hotspur last week, Pochettino has been heavily linked with raiding his former employers for the talented midfielder, who is currently preparing for the World Cup Finals as part of Roy Hodgson’s England squad. However, according to Sky Sports, the Argentine has not added the 26-year-old to his wanted list ahead of the new season.
This has left Liverpool in pole position to sign Lallana, who would be certain to be joined at Anfield by his Saints team-mate Rickie Lambert. The striker was the subject of a £4million bid by his hometown club last Friday, and having passed his medical over the weekend, the 32-year-old is set to compete with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge for a place in the Reds side next term.
According to The Express, Brendan Rodgers has already tabled an offer of £20million for Lallana, and when this was rejected, he was given the go-ahead to increase the bid to £25million. The same tabloid, though, claims Southampton are holding out for £30million for the former Bournemouth youngster, which is a similar fee to what they want Manchester United to pay for Luke Shaw.
Having already lost Pochettino to Spurs, these are worrying times for Saints fans who must be concerned that their side, which finished in eighth place in the Premier League last season, is breaking up. Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Callum Chambers and even the injured Jay Rodriguez are other players who have been linked with transfer since the end of the campaign.
Pochettino, meanwhile, is said to be interested in Internazionale midfielder Fredy Guarin. Although the 27-year-old signed a new contract with the Italian giants just last year, Gazzetta dello Sport claim Tottenham have made the Colombian international a top target this summer, and they could be willing to offer Erik Lamela in exchange for his signature during the window. The former Roma ace joined the White Hart Lane club for a club record £30million in August, but he endured a horrid debut campaign in England and would likely be interested in a return to Italy to get his career back on track.
