Luke Shaw jokes about ‘tapping up’ some England team-mates to join Manchester United this summer

Luke Shaw has joked that he is ‘tapping up’ some of his England team-mates to join Manchester United.

United are set to make an improved offer of £50m for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount after their initial £40m bid was rejected.

Mount isn’t in the current England squad but there is uncertainty over the club futures of a number of players in Southgate’s team.

West Ham’s Declan Rice and Tottenham’s Harry Kane are amongst the players that could be on the move this summer, while James Maddison is likely to move on to pastures new following Leicester’s relegation from the Championship.

Ahead of England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia at Old Trafford, Shaw posted pictures of himself along with Rice and Kane accompanied by the caption ‘Carrington tour’.

Luke Shaw has joked about ‘tapping up’ his England team-mates to join Manchester United

Shaw shared photos of himself alongside Harry Kane and Declan Rice to his Instagram story

Shaw was asked about the situation at an England press conference, with a reporter asking him: ‘Luke, who have you been tapping up then?’. 

Shaw replied by saying ‘There’s a few’, with the reporter then asking whether Mount was one of the players.

Shaw then said: ‘Obviously he’s not here. It’s all just a bit of banter really. Obviously we have a joke and a laugh about it. Not too sure what goes on behind the scenes, it’s to do with the club really, but when we’re here and we’re always together we have a joke about it. I don’t really know too much what’s going on, that’s just it really.’

Rice is the subject of interest from Arsenal, who have had a bid rejected for the 24-year-old. 

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is the subject of interest from several top clubs

There is also uncertainty regarding England captain Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham

United are set to make an improve offer for Mason Mount as they look to sign the midfielder

Chelsea and Manchester City are also known to be interested in Rice, while Manchester United have also been linked with him. 

England boss Southgate added ‘the players are tapping each other up anyway on the quiet’. 

Southgate said: ‘I haven’t felt the need to say anything.

‘The players are tapping each other up anyway on the quiet so I can’t do anything about that!’

‘What I have said is these things run their course, they happen in their own time, you can’t force it as a player. Don’t get frustrated, don’t be asking all summer,’ added Southgate.

‘You don’t need to be updated on every call that happens. A lot of negotiation goes on.

‘I remember as a player getting too wrapped up in every detail of that. In the end, there is only a small amount that you can actually control.

‘I think all of those things will happen later on in the summer and I think the players understand that.’