Aston Villa and Southampton have reportedly joined Leeds United in the race for Bristol Rovers attacker Kofi Shaw.
At just 17 years of age, the starlet has burst onto the League One stage during the opening moments of the 2024-25 third-tier campaign for the West Country outfit.
Shaw made his League One debut back in April, appearing for 12 minutes off the bench during the 2-0 defeat at Shaun Maloney's Wigan Athletic.
In terms of the 2024-25 campaign, the winger earned a start for Matt Taylor's troops in the 3-2 loss at Peterborough United on September 21.
Shaw did not make the squad for his side's 2-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on the weekend but he could feature against Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night.
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Villa, Southampton watching Bristol Rovers' Shaw?
According to journalist Alan Nixon, three clubs higher up the English football pyramid are circling around Bristol Rovers star Shaw ahead of the January window.
The report claims that Premier League duo Aston Villa and Southampton are keen on securing the services of the 17-year-old in the near future.
As well as the top-flight duo, it is understood that Championship promotion contenders Leeds are monitoring the progress of Shaw this season.
The Whites have a good recent reputation of nurturing young talent, including academy graduate Archie Gray, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.
It is believed that Shaw is currently happy with his situation at Bristol Rovers, earning first-team appearances in League One at such a young age.
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Shaw to save the Saints?
Out of the three teams linked with Shaw, Southampton are arguably in the greatest need of forward reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Russell Martin's troops have scored just twice in the Premier League so far after five matches, meaning that they possess the weakest attack in the division.
That being said, there has to be major question marks over whether Shaw would move to St Mary's as a first-team player immediately.
The 17-year-old is yet to fully establish himself at League One level for Bristol Rovers, so he is unlikely to be a short-term saviour on the South coast.
Carter White
