Report: Southampton reluctant to do business with rival Tottenham
Southampton has grown so frustrated with Tottenham Hotspur and its chairman Daniel Levy that the south coast club is now reluctant to do any business with them.
The White Hart Lane outfit has tabled derisory bids for Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama over the past two years and this, coupled with the fact that they are likely to battle it out for a Europa League spot, has left the Saints disinterested in conducting any deals with Spurs, according to the Telegraph.
Last summer, Tottenham submitted an offer of just £10 million for France international Schneiderlin and was apparently unwilling to go any higher for a player of huge importance to Southampton. The midfielder left for Manchester United this summer for a fee that could be as high as £27 million after add-ons.
After Spurs also valued Wanyama at £10 million this year, and unsettled the Kenyan as a result, Ronald Koeman's side has run out of patience.
Tottenham, managed by Southampton's former boss Mauricio Pochettino, has irritated other Premier League clubs recently, such as West Bromwich Albion after the Spurs pursuit of Saido Berahino. West Ham United was too irked after chairman Daniel Levy refused to subsidise part of Emmanuel Adebayor's wages in a loan deal, despite agreeing to do so for Queens Park Rangers or Crystal Palace.
The latter breakdown prompted West Ham co-owner David Gold to comment that "no matter how hard you try, there are people out there that you just can't do business with."
Anthony Martial could have also been a Spurs player for £20 million this summer. The deal was perceived too rich for Levy, and the forward ended up joining Man United from Monaco for £36 million.
Fans believe Levy has cheaped out on many deals at Tottenham, and a statement after the window shut on Sept. 1 did nothing to alleviate these concerns.
Related: Tottenham releases statement defending its summer transfer activity
Now, worryingly for those involved with Tottenham Hotspur, its not just supporters who have grown impatient with the North London side.
Levy will have to change his tack and loosen the purse strings if he wants to ease relations between Spurs and the other Premier League teams.