The Saints face the break-up of the spine of their team as they prepare to cash in on Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin and Dejan Lovren to service debts

By Wayne Veysey

Southampton face the break-up of their much-admired team this summer as they prepare to listen to offers for star men Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin and Dejan Lovren.

With an outstanding transfer debt of £27 million and doubts about owner Katharina Liebherr’s ambition, the south coast club are ready to cash in on some of their prize playing assets.

There is also the growing likelihood that they will lose manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is the standout frontrunner alongside Ajax’s Frank de Boer to take on the Tottenham manager’s job that will be vacated by Tim Sherwood next month.

Southampton executive director Les Reed claimed last week that the club have received “no enquiries or offers for any of our players”.

However, Shaw is set for a £20m-plus summer switch to either Manchester United or Chelsea as he prepares to leave the club that he joined as an eight-year-old.

The 18-year-old left-back was named in the PFA team of the season last Sunday and his outstanding development is likely to be recognised in a call-up to England’s World Cup squad.

Saints skipper Adam Lallana is also a target for the Champions League calibre clubs, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all closely monitoring the England international.

Lallana is contracted to the Saints until 2018 after signing a new deal last year but those close to him believe that the next window could be the right time to move to one of England’s marquee clubs.

Liverpool, who are currently in pole position to capture the 25-year-old attacking midfielder, want to agree an early deal for Lallana amid fears that his value could rocket on the back of an impressive showing at this summer’s World Cup.

Pochettino spoke in glowing terms of his club captain in the wake of Southampton’s recent 4-0 win over Newcastle, describing him as a “special and unique player” who “has the skills of an [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi or [Cesc] Fabregas”.

Schneiderlin, the all-action central midfielder, is a long-time target of Arsenal, who have extensively scouted him in the last two seasons. The 24-year-old Frenchman is rated in the £15m bracket.

Meanwhile, Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren, a revelation in his first season in the Premier League, is being closely monitored by Liverpool.

Forward Jay Rodriguez, Southampton’s top scorer this season with 17 goals, has already attracted interest from leading clubs but he tore his anterior cruciate ligament earlier this month and is unlikely to play again until next year.

New Southampton director Hans Hofstetter admitted last month that the restructured board had “inherited a difficult situation financially” as it emerged in the club’s latest set of annual accounts that there was an outstanding transfer debt of £27m.

The future of the key players at St Mary’s could be tied to that of Pochettino, who is yet to extend a contract that expires at the end of next season.

The Reds boss hit out at his opposite number in the wake of his side’s 2-0 loss to the Blues at Anfield on Sunday, but the Portuguese claims hewas later praised for his tactics

Jose Mourinho says Brendan Rodgers has congratulated him for Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

In the immediate aftermath of Chelsea’s controversial 2-0 win on Sunday, Rodgers accused his opposite number of “parking two buses” in order to keep a clean sheet, with Liverpool frustrated by their counterparts’ tactics.

But Mourinho insists the Reds boss has now revised his view, with the Northern Irishman taking time out to praise his opposite number on Tuesday, 24 hours before Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.

“Brendan is a manager and someone I consider my friend. I met him a long time ago when he was a very young coach coaching kids and I consider him a friend,” he told reporters.

“Of course I know his words after the match but I also know his words today and today he told me congratulations for a great victory and a great performance.

“This is important to me especially because he is someone I consider a friend and I like. So I forget what he said after the match and instead what he said today.

“He watched the match on video again and now he understands what happened.”

The Reds boss believes the Uruguayan has shown “remarkable” commitment to the club since being denied a transfer to Arsenal last summer

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is pleased Luis Suarez’s “loyalty” to the club has been rewarded with Champions League football.

The Uruguay international was subject of two bids from Arsenal in the summer but agreed a new deal at Anfield in December after previously publicly stating his desire to leave the club.

Suarezy has duly enjoyed a stunning campaign at Liverpool, scoring 30 Premier League goals to guide Rodgers’ side to the top of the table and winning the PFA Player of the Year award for his efforts.

Liverpool are already assured of a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2009-10 next term – and Rodgers is thrilled that his star striker will have the opportunity to shine at the highest level.

“A player of Luis Suarez’s ability has to be playing at this level,” the Northern Irishman told reporters.

“His loyalty in staying at Liverpool, to continue to fight for the club to get us there, is remarkable really.

“Hopefully he gets the rewards for that with those big European nights next season.”

Suarez was handed the PFA award on Sunday – just a year after his name was booed at last season’s ceremony following his bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic’s arm.

The 27-year-old was banned for 10 matches for the incident, but Rodgers feels Suarez’s intelligence on and off the field is often overlooked.

“I’m interested in the person as much as the player. From the first year, he knew I would shape the team around his qualities. The way we set the system up is to be technical and intelligent,” he added.

“Probably what people don’t see with Luis is that he’s a very, very highly intelligent man off the field – and maybe sometimes in the past that intelligence on the field hasn’t been seen so much – but that imagination is part of how we work.

“I love players that have that technical ability. That’s what we’ve built our template on over the past 20 months and he’s at the top end of that.”