Shane Long is going to be a wanted man this summer.
The Tipp man is on the crest of his best ever season. In 28 Premier League appearances, he scored ten goals and added four assists.
Eight of those goals came post-Christmas after he had ousted Graziano Pelle from the first-team and established himself a Ronald Koeman's favourite through the middle for Southampton.
The Dutch manager has spoken on numerous occasions about the improvement he has witnessed in Long during his time at St. Mary's. Movement and control are two aspects of Long's game Koeman has cited in particular as being enhanced.
Earlier this month, Southampton fans recognised the Irish international's contribution when he was named the Southern Daily Echo's Southampton Player of the Season. Long beat centre-back Virgil van Dijk into second.
The club's fans and manager are not the only ones to have recognised the 29-year-old's development.
He as also caught the eye of other Premier League clubs. Specifically - according to Miguel Delaney in the Sunday Independent - Leicester and Liverpool.
The Premier League champions' luck held out this season as injuries never came knocking. Their thin squad endured. With the added front of Champions League football to face next season, Leicester require reinforcements. They have already been linked with a move for Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez and now Long is also on Claudio Ranieri's wishlist.
Jurgen Klopp is also interested in Shane Long. Christian Benteke's time at Anfield is undoubtedly up. Prior to this month, in which he started two Premier League games, the last time the Belgian started a league game under Klopp was in early January. That was an atrocious performance in a 2-0 defeat against West Ham.
Long could be the man to replace Benteke, who joined last summer for £32.5 million. His high energy game would be well-suited to Klopp's preferred style of play.
He would not come cheap though. Miguel Delaney reports it would take around £25 million for Long to be prized from Southampton.
That is a fee which would more than double the £12 million Southampton paid for Long in August 2014.
A move away from the club where he is playing such excellent football appears not to be on the player's mind. Yesterday, Long was thinking about playing European football with Southampton next season.
Group stages here we come! 👍🏻#europe 😇
— Shane Long (@ShaneLong7) May 21, 2016
Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
