Does report give Everton advantage over Newcastle in Luke Shaw chase?

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Manchester United will reportedly sell Luke Shaw and Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Everton are fighting over the left-back.

Manchester United chiefs have reprotedly told Jose Mourinho that he must raise funds by selling a number of first-team players if he wants to embark on an expensive squad overhaul at Old Trafford this summer.

And it will come as a surprise to precisely no one to learn that Luke Shaw is one of the names most at risk of being sold this summer, according to the Sun.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of Premier League clubs willing to offer a lifeline to a talented player who appears to have lost any hope of winning over his clearly unimpressed manager.

According to ESPN, Everton scouted Shaw during United’s recent 2-0 FA Cup win against Brighton, in which the former Southampton man was subbed off at half-time and publically lambasted, once again, by Mourinho after the game.

The Toffees need a long-term Leighton Baines successor and have the added advantage of boasting a very wealthy backer in steel magnate Farhad Moshiri.

So Newcastle United were always up against it. The Chronicle claims that Magpies boss Rafa Benitez is keeping a close eye on Shaw’s situation after making an enquiry in January, even though the 22-year-old enjoys a bigger weekly wage than Newcastle’s current top earner.

Claims by the Sun, however, that United want £28 million for a player whose fitness and attitude have been questioned by his own manager surely rule Newcastle out of the race.

Even with the TV money they can expect to earn from their first season back in the top flight, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley may be unwilling to smash the club’s transfer record by over £10 million.

Everton, then, look like a far more likely destination.