Southampton sold Luke Shaw to Manchester United for £27m (~$46m), but they’re holding out for a better offer for Morgan Schneiderlin. The Saints have no intention of selling the midfielder, and they hope to signal to the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal, both who are reported to be interested, that he’s not for sale.
The 24-year-old joined Southampton from local club Strasbourg back in 2008, when Southampton were competing in The Championship. Since then, he’s made 205 appearances for the side, establishing himself as a vital member of the team with his vital tackles and tireless work rate. Saints rewarded Schneiderlin with a contract extension in early 2013, keeping him with the club until 2017.
Last season, the midfielder made 33 appearances for Southampton, helping them on to an 8th place finish in the Premier League. His performances impressed Didier Deschamps enough to earn a callup to the France national team after injuries to Franck Ribéry and Clement Grenier kept them out of the World Cup. Schneiderlin played just one match in Brazil, going the full ninety in the scoreless draw with Ecuador, but he’s likely to be a contender for les bleus as they prepare for Euro 2016 qualification.
It’s easy to see why Southampton don’t want to let go of Schneiderlin. And they certainly have no need to do so -- assuming Dejan Lovren’s transfer to Liverpool is completed, Saints will have brought in around $84m this transfer window. The additions of Dušan Tadić and Graziano Pellè have cost less than half that, about $34m. With no need for Southampton to sell, Arsenal and Tottenham may need to start sniffing out other prospects.