Arsenal & Man Utd handed Boost As £20m Target Confirms Move Desire

The January transfer window is now closed but that won’t stop the newspapers from speculating ahead of the summer so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Morgan Schneiderlin has handed Arsenal and Man Utd a boost….

Arsenal and Manchester United have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Morgan Schneiderlin after he reiterated his desire to leave Southampton if they don’t finish in the top four this season.

Schneiderlin was strongly linked with a move away from St Mary’s Stadium last summer but Ronald Koeman refused to let the midfielder leave after already selling the likes of Calum Chambers, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw.

The French international has continued to impress this season with the 25-year-old playing a key role in helping the Saints push for an unlikely top four finish in the Premier League.

Koeman’s men spent much of the first half of the season in the top four but have slipped away in recent weeks after only winning three of their last eight games and they now look likely to miss out on Champions League qualification.

Schneiderlin has now once again told reporters that he wants to be playing Champions League football next season and will look for a move this summer if Southampton aren’t able to offer him elite European football.

“In August, I wanted to take a move but the club had lost too many players to agree to sell me,”

“Since then I have had discussions with the leaders and I want to play at the highest level: it is important at 25 years old to finally know the Champions League.”

“Given that, late in the season, Southampton may qualify for the Champions League and I can stay, who knows.”

“I have no desire to be in front of my TV on Tuesday and Wednesday.” Schneiderlin is quoted as saying by Sky Sports

I’m sure Southampton will do all they can to qualify for the Champions League but they currently sit sixth in the table and six points adrift of fourth-placed Man Utd, so with eight games left to play it looks like a tall order.

Understandably, several clubs have been credited with interest in Schneiderlin with Arsenal and Manchester United among those to be strongly linked with a move for the Frenchman in recent months.

Reports suggest that Arsene Wenger has made his compatriot one of his key summer transfer targets as he looks to find another holding midfielder with the futures of Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Abou Diaby in doubt.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

However, Louis van Gaal is also understood to be keen as he lines up for another busy summer of transfer activity at Old Trafford and the United boss has already hinted that a new midfielder will be on his agenda.

It’s certainly going to be interesting to see where Schneiderlin ends up if he does end up moving this summer but it’s been suggested that Southampton will want a fee in excess of £20m, so the likes of Arsenal and United will have to dig deep if they want to lure him away from the South Coast.