Southampton have suffered a major blow with England youth internationals Harrison Miles, Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez and Harley Emsden-James all leaving St Mary’s amid interest from big clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus can exclusively reveal.
England U16 captain Miles has left after seeing out his contract, with Manchester City and Arsenal tussling for his services. A host of Premier League clubs are battling it out to sign the trio who have really impressed in Southampton’s academy.
Southampton, who have a proven track record in developing young talents, were keen on keeping hold of the exciting young trio, but they have been unable to reach an agreement over new contracts with them.
15-year-old Miles was highly regarded by Southampton and featured for the club’s Under-18s and U21s last season.
Miles has already turned out for England at youth level, and despite being just 15, he made several appearances for Southampton’s U21 side last term. He predominantly played for the U18s, but Miles has regularly shown the ability to perform when promoted above his age group before making the decision to leave the Saints to further his career elsewhere.
The 14-year-old defender is thought to be attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Fellow England U16 international Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez has also left Southampton following the expiry of his contract.
Talented forward Gomes Rodriguez at only 16 has been a regular for the U18s at Southampton and has even stepped up to be involved with the U21s.
Gomes Rodriguez has provided nine assists and netted two goals in 11 games for the U18s and scored once in his two outings for the U21s to bring him onto the radar of the likes of Brighton, Juventus and Lyon.
Southampton transfers: Starlet wanted by Juventus
Southampton are among several clubs facing a tough time in their attempts to hang on to young talents with English clubs now unable to bring in Under-18 players from abroad.
The changes brought in by Brexit also prevent English players who are not yet 18 from leaving the country to sign for a club abroad.
However, in the case of Gomes Rodriguez there is a loophole as the capped England youth international holds a Portuguese passport, which leaves the door open for him to move internationally. This could play into Juve’s hands, with sources confirming that the Italian giants are very interested in landing him.
Gomes Rodriguez arrived in England when he was ten years old, having grown up in Venezuela.
Shortly after landing in Britain, the young attacker requested a trial in Southampton. The club advised him to continue at the grassroots level, where scouts could monitor his growth. He joined local club Eastleigh Tornados and rapidly gained attention from Premier League scouts.
The forward prospect would go on to shatter Southampton Youth Football League records, scoring 334 goals in 136 games. His family then decided that he should sign with Southampton in 2022 after the club backed up their promises to keep an eye on the young player.
It seems that good will has not held sway as he now considers which club holds the brightest future for him.
