Southampton keen to keep hold of star players

Southampton executive director Les Reed has reaffirmed the club’s intention to keep hold of their star players as a number of them continue to be linked with big money moves away, according to the Independent.

The south coast club have enjoyed a fine season under manager Mauricio Pochettino, with a top ten finish all but assured, and their form has led to members of their squad catching the eyes of their Premier League rivals.

Full-back Luke Shaw has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, as has club captain and fellow England international Adam Lallana, while Calum Chambers has generated interest from Arsenal after breaking into the Saints’ first team.

Southampton welcome top-four chasing Everton to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon looking to end a run of two games without scoring a goal, and the hosts can be backed at a price of 19/10 to take all three points.