Southampton and England left back Luke Shaw is in Manchester today, undergoing to a medical ahead of his move to Old Trafford.
United have been linked with a move for Shaw for weeks now, after they put together a package that reportedly was better than what Chelsea offered. The transfer fee for the 18-year-old defender is believed to be around £34 million, a huge fee for a full back who has played just 60 Premier League games in total and collected three senior international caps for England.
United have been looking for a left back for over a year now and last summer failed in an attempt to get England’s other left back, Leighton Baines from Everton.
Shaw is just the latest on a long line of stars that have emerged from the Southampton academy. Other graduates have included Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Shaw’s imminent arrival at United comes hours after they confirmed the signing of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao. After being heavily criticized for waiting too long to sign players last summer, that does not appear to be the case with United’s CEO Ed Woodward this summer as he has two moves completed in what promises to be a busy summer at Old Trafford.
That United were able to land Shaw despite not being able to offer him Champions League football is another big statement by the club. Speaking after England’s 0-0 draw with Costa Rica at the World Cup, Shaw was asked whether he needed Champions League football upon his Premier League return.
Shaw said: ‘Obviously Champions League would help, playing against world-class players, but you can’t just say that because you look at other teams that have gone through the groups and they haven’t got all Champions League players.
‘I don’t know. I think we’ll have a look at it and just to try and move on in the coming few months.’
For new Saints boss Ronald Koeman he has to be hoping that he gets to reinvest the money in new players. Southampton have already lost Rickie Lambert and now Shaw this summer, with Adam Lallana expected to also join his England colleague Lambert at Liverpool this summer.
