Southampton: Liverpool man linked with Saints return in summer
By Marc Walker
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has been linked with a return to former club Southampton in the summer.
A report from the Mirror states that the Saints are keen for a reunion with the 30-year-old if they manage to avoid Premier League relegation this season.
The England international has only played 398 minutes of first-team football so far during this campaign after falling out of favour and having injury problems.
According to transfermarkt.com, his contract at Anfield runs out in June 2020, meaning he would be free to negotiate with other sides over a transfer in June of this year if his deal isn’t renewed.
With Lallana knowing Southampton so well as a club after coming from their academy system, a potential move could be likely but certainly depends on their top-flight status being secured again.
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There are some factors that could see it difficult for this move to happen though.
Saints fans weren’t best pleased to see Lallana leave the club in 2014 when he joined Liverpool for around £27m and some may feel he has burnt his bridges back to the club.
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Whilst he is a player that the club know well, it is also unlikely that he fits into their transfer strategy these days.
At 30, he may have a few good years left at the top of his game and doesn’t fit the profile of the young, hungry players that Saints have looked to bring in for a number of seasons.
Despite these potential issues, Lallana remains a very capable player and a move for him back to the South Coast could be on if he can assure the fans and club that he will give his all for the shirt again.
He made 260 appearances in his previous spell at Saints and also too the captain’s armband after becoming a key attacking player.
One other player that Saints have been linked with recently is Nantes right-back Enock Kwateng.
Goal France reported that the club had scouted the 21-year-old recently but would face competition to sign him on a free transfer from Premier League rivals Watford.
Saints are almost certain to be looking for a new right-back during the summer after Cedric Soares was sent out on-loan to Inter Milan and left Yan Valery as the club’s only natural in his position.