Liverpool to do battle with Leicester for Southampton striker

Liverpool and Leicester are set to battle for Southampton striker Shane Long in the summer, according to The Sunday Independent.

Long, 29, has enjoyed the finest campaign of his career for Southampton and has made real improvements under Ronald Koeman.

The Ireland international has already been looked at by Liverpool in the past but Jurgen Klopp’s side can now expect competition from Leicester for his signature as they look to bolster their squad for Champions League football next season.

Any deal is unlikely to be concluded before Euro 2016, where potential suitors will have a close eye on Long. However, Southampton will be reluctant to part ways with Long and reportedly won’t entertain any offers south of £25m.

Long has hit double figures in a Premier League campaign for the first time in his career this season (10) and has also finished the season with a WhoScored.com rating above 7 for the first time (7.02).

For more stats on Shane Long, click here to visit his WhoScored player page