Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin 'Was Told to Go on Strike' to Force Tottenham Hotspur Move

Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin admits he considered going on strike in order to force through a move to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window.

The France international was heavily linked with a move to north London as Saints suffered several high-profile departures.

Schneiderlin refused to play in a pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen as he tried to force the issue at Southampton but new manager Ronald Koeman held talks to convince the midfielder to remain on the south coast.

The 24-year-old has since been an ever-present in the Premier League for Southampton this season, scoring three times in seven appearances but has potentially jeopardised his position at the club by opening up fully on his attempts to join Tottenham.

"Was the meeting with Southampton officials on July 29 tense? Yes," Schneiderlin told France Football. "In the months building up to it, there was interest from clubs – three clubs and Tottenham were among them.

"Since February/March, my agents and I had talked with Southampton about a possible departure. The club always told me they would sell for the right price.

"My agents and I went to that meeting on July 29 in a peaceful state of mind, with exciting propositions. To me, with my six years at Southampton and everything I had given to the club, everything should have been sorted that day."

"Chambers signed for Arsenal the day before our meeting and the club saw the fans getting mad. They thought: 'If Morgan leaves the stadium will be burnt.' So they told us: 'Morgan is not for sale, we won't listen to anything. That is the decision and there is nothing more to say'.

"I talked to a lot of people. Some told me to go on strike, that the club will finally give up. My agents never said that, they just told me to make a decision.

"I felt that the officials wouldn't let me leave, that they would rather leave me on the sidelines for six months. So I resumed training because I really needed to play football again."

Schneiderlin's status at Southampton turned full circle when he played 90 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday 5 October.

The former Strasbourg player has continued to discuss playing in the Champions League one day and is now focused on reaching the top-tier European competition with Southampton rather than with a new club.

"I played against Liverpool at Anfield and all the Southampton fans applauded me and chanted my name," he said. "It was so heart-warming. I knew then I would spend the whole season at Southampton.

"Maybe now we will achieve something amazing here. Champions League qualification would be fantastic. I hope to play in the Champions League one day, of course. I want to play every three days. But why not play in the Champions League with Southampton?"