Man Utd and Chelsea tussle for Nathaniel Clyne

The right-back is attracting the attention of the big guns, but Southampton want to keep their man

Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton
(Image credit: 2015 Getty Images)

With Arsenal urgently in need of fresh blood following their mauling by Monaco, could Southampton playmaker Morgan Schneiderlin be the answer? And might the Saints also struggle to hold on to Nathaniel Clyne with both Chelsea and Man Utd circling?

Metro says Chelsea will "battle Manchester United" for the right to sign Nathaniel Clyne in the summer. The 23-year-old defender emerged as a potential Old Trafford target earlier in the season but Metro reports that the Blues have their eyes on the prize, aware that Clyne has less than 18 months left on his current contract at St Mary's. Apparently Southampton are pressing the right-back to ink a new deal but Clyne's head could be turned by the interest of two of the Premier League's powerhouses.

• Manchester United continue to plan for the future by tying down Reece James and Tyler Blackett to new contracts. James, described by the club's official website as a "versatile left-back", made his competitive debut in the Capital One Cup against Milton Keynes Dons and is seen as a future rock in the United defence. As is the 20-year-old Blackett, who has made ten appearances for the senior side this season. He's extended his stay at Old Trafford until June 2017 and manager Louis van Gaal had this to say to the website: "I am delighted that Tyler has signed a new contract…Tyler has great potential and I believe he is at the right club to continue his development and progression to become a great defender."

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• Liverpool are looking to retain a promising youngster with the offer of a new contract too, according to the Daily Mirror. The papers says that 19-year-old Jordon Ibe "will be rewarded with a new five year contract" after breaking into the first team, one that will see his weekly wages rise from £6,000-a-week to "in excess of £25,000-a-week".

• Liverpool are also in the market for Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, but they may find their path blocked by the Gunners. Click here to for the detail, and the rest of the Arsenal transfer news.

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Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.