Liverpool and Tottenham Encouraged in Signing Jay Rodriguez as Striker Rejects New Southampton Deal

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have been encouraged in their ongoing pursuit of signing Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez, reports the Mirror.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract and Southampton were keen on offering him a new five-year deal in order to fend off any interest from other Premier League clubs.

The Saints are desperate to tie down their star man with a new deal and has already requested the player's camp to sit down for talks. However, Rodriguez has rejected a chance to agree a new deal with Southampton as he is waiting for more concrete offers from the Anfield and the White Hart Lane clubs.

The former Burnley man had an impressive last season with the Saints and his form saw him being called by Roy Hodgson for the England squad. However, he suffered a serious knee injury in April, which is set to keep him out of action for the next few months.

Rodriguez missed the World Cup and is currently undergoing the recovery process. With the striker sidelined with cruciate ligament damage, the England international is still attracting interest from the Reds and the Spurs.

The Merseyside club and the north London side are keen on signing Rodriguez, despite being aware that the striker will miss the start of the next season.

Southampton have already lost Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana to Liverpool, along with Luke Shaw, who joined Manchester United earlier in the summer. The Saints also saw Mauricio Pochettino leave St Mary's Stadium to take the managerial role at Spurs.

Meanwhile, the Saints new manager Ronald Koeman is adamant about not letting any of his players leave the club this summer.

However, Rodriguez's rejection in signing a new deal could see Southampton cash in on the player rather than allow him to enter into the final year of contract next summer. The striker had earlier admitted that the injury will make him come back stronger.

"I know that once I've done the rehab and done it correctly, if anything, it'll make me physically stronger. I've got time to build muscle and build my legs up to improve. I don't get the time in the season," Rodriguez said.

"I know mentally it will make me stronger, because at times I think you need a bit of negativity in your career to overcome it."