Tottenham and Chelsea line up bids for Southampton left back Luke Shaw

Tottenham and Chelsea are ready to test Southampton’s resolve to keep promising left-back Luke Shaw at St Mary’s.The London rivals are both expected to make bids for the Saints defender, who has been valued at £16.5million, once the season ends.That’s bad news for Arsenal, who believed they had the inside track on the 17-year-old who has been tipped for the top.Southampton are under no pressure to sell, especially if they stay in the Premier League, as Shaw only signed a new five-year deal at the start of the year.New manager Mauricio Pochettino has also been told by chairman Nicola Cortese that potential superstars like Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will no longer be allowed to leave unless it is in the club’s interests.That won’t stop the London trio from tabling bids and despite having a sound financial footing, Saints could be tempted by player plus cash offerings. It is also plausible that Shaw would be sold and loaned back for the 2013/2014 season to continue his swift rise.Spurs will point to how Bale has flourished since leaving the south coast for White Hart Lane in a bid to persuade the teenager to join them while Chelsea hope to finally lure the Surrey-born youngster to Stamford Bridge after allowing him to join Southampton from under their noses.Shaw grew up at Kingston-upon-Thames, just seven miles from the Blues’ training ground at Cobham.

Source: DSG