The South Coast fire sale appears ready to finally begin. Needing to sell players this summer to fund their ability to buy new players, Southampton appear to be closing in on their first sales of the transfer window. For some though, this news will not be so sweet. Looking set to pillage Southampton once again, rivals Liverpool lead the race to sign both Alex McCarthy and Matt Targett.
Seen as fringe players at the club, both Alex McCarthy and Matt Targett appear to almost certainly depart the South Coast club this summer. Neither are likely to feature next season for Saints and with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s desire to trim the fat off his squad, both players represent easy sale options for the club.
Report: Liverpool Lead Race for Southampton Duo
Alex McCarthy
Losing his starting spot to Angus Gunn this past season, Alex McCarthy quickly became a fringe player at Southampton. With McCarthy certain to be stuck in this backup role, the Englishman has become an expensive luxury that Southampton just can’t afford. Throw in former number one goalkeeper Fraser Forster and McCarthy has become an easy target for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton fire sale.
Recently, the rumours surrounding McCarthy’s potential departure have heated up exponentially. According to reports The Mirror’s Tom Hopkinson, Liverpool are extremely interested in signing the Southampton shot-stopper. Simon Mignolet is expected to depart Anfield this summer, opening up a backup role at Liverpool.
The move would be a good one for all parties. Southampton would both collect a transfer fee and rid themselves of the 29-year-old’s £50,000 per week salary. Liverpool gets themselves a quality backup goalkeeper that possesses experience at both the domestic and international levels.
As for McCarthy, the Englishman will get a chance to play Champions League football with Liverpool while also competing for a Premier League title as the Reds’ backup.
Matt Targett
Southampton will also try to sell left-back Matt Targett this summer. In a similar situation to Alex McCarthy, Targett finds himself in an expendable role with Saints. The second choice left back option, Targett has struggled to oust Ryan Bertrand from his starting role. Moreso, with Hasenhuttl looking to promote youth star Jake Vokins next season, Targett is now surplus to requirements.
However, unlike Alex McCarthy, Matt Targett is generating extreme amounts of interest from across the Premier League. According to the Daily Star’s Aaron Stokes, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Newcastle have all spoken with Southampton about Targett. However, reports now state that those clubs have recently been joined by two Premier League giants.
TEAMtalk now report that both Arsenal and Liverpool have joined the race for Saints’ young left-back. However, despite interest from both clubs, Targett’s future remains firmly up in the air. According to the same report, it is believed that England’s coaches have encouraged Targett to seek regular first-team football this summer.
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