With Southampton in the top-10 of the Premier League table, it’s only natural that their most in-form players are going to be involved in a multitude of January transfer rumors.
Thankfully for fans, their captain and new England international won’t be one of them.
With rumors swirling of Adam Lallana’s departure to places such as Manchester United, manager Mauricio Pochettino put a swift end to the speculation.
“We can keep Adam,” said Pochettino. “I think Adam and other players are going to stay with us. There is no pressure to sell them. Adam said he is happy at Southampton and Southampton have no plans to sell him.”
It’s been a busy holiday week for the 25-year-old winger, and not just in the papers. Lallana got married nearly a full year earlier than he was planning on as to not conflict with next year’s World Cup, and Pochettino said he smushed that special day between training without any days in between.
The Southampton fixture has played 236 league matches for the club, bagging 52 goals and 45 assists, helping the club earn promotion from the Championship in 2011/12. He has four goals and five assists this Premier League season as Southampton sit in ninth place in the table, having been as high as fourth previously.
Pochettino also said rumors of Luke Shaw to Chelsea are premature, saying, “The player wants to stay at the club. He has made a statement about this himself. Other clubs can watch him and show their interest but he does not want to go anywhere and we do not want to sell him.”
The Argentine said with a number of players rumored to be on the move, they will have to adapt to life with their name in the papers.
