Manchester United’s Luke Shaw appears set to leave at the end of the season, but with talk of interest from Spurs, has the left-back actually done enough to earn such a move?
Manchester United and England left-back Luke Shaw was once again publicly humiliated by his manager after being taken off at half-time in his side’s 2-0 victory over Brighton last weekend.
Shaw has endured a tough career at Old Trafford since moving from Southampton in 2014, having missed nearly a whole season after a horrific leg break, whilst never really managing to hold down a regular position.
Question marks were raised over his fitness by former boss Louis Van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho, with Mourinho going down a slightly more antagonistic route when it comes to criticising the youngster.
As a player dubbed to have the potential to be the best full-back in the world by many fans and pundits, Shaw’s career appears to have fully stagnated and is in dire need of a move, but with talk of a proposed switch to Tottenham, has the 22-year-old actually done anything to prove he has the quality to play for Spurs?
With Danny Rose and Ben Davies as the current left-back options, Tottenham are looking strong in Shaw’s position, however, Rose has been heavily linked with a move away from North London for sometime now.
However, on top of the fact that Shaw has done little to impress over the last few years, whether that is down to a lack of confidence or simply due to poor form, another interesting factor may play a part in Shaw’s potential move to Tottenham.
Coached by Mauricio Pochettino during his time at Southampton, the left-back has also come under similar criticism from the Argentine, who questioned his dedication and fitness, just like Mourinho and Van Gaal did.
Late last year, it was reported in the Metro that Pochettino had said: “I felt his head was not in the right place [at Southampton] to make the sacrifices and decisions that are necessary at that age.”
Mourinho has always been a controversial character throughout his career, and has no issues with ruffling a few feathers with his words, however, it is unusual for the Portuguese manager to simply pick on a player out of spite. His criticism of Shaw has appeared harsh, but with multiple managers criticising the youngster over his fitness and effort in training, there must be some truth behind the words.
Whatever chances Shaw gets in the team during the rest of the season will likely play a huge role in where he moves, as he looks to play himself into some form to attract interest from clubs of the highest calibre. However, given Pochettino’s history of words regarding Shaw, on top of the minimal amount of good football the 22-year-old has produced in recent years, it is hard to see a club the quality of Spurs opting to sign the former most expensive teenager in the world.
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