Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle are all reportedly among the clubs interested in a potential summer transfer window swoop for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
The England international is enjoying another superb season for the Saints, as he continues to establish himself as a hugely underrated Premier League player with his high-energy performances and impressive record of scoring goals from free-kicks.
After going a little under the radar for so long, Ward-Prowse has surely now shown what he’s all about and deserves the chance to play at a higher level next season.
According to the Daily Star, there are plenty of admirers who could offer the 27-year-old that chance, with Man Utd and Arsenal said to be keen on a move, which would likely cost around £60million.
Ward-Prowse transfer makes sense for Man Utd and Arsenal
Both these clubs are a long way from where they’ll want to be, and where they’ll feel they should be, and sorting out their problems in midfield is surely an important step to improving their fortunes for next season and beyond.
Ward-Prowse’s work rate and quality on the ball means he’d surely be an instant upgrade on Granit Xhaka at the Emirates Stadium, as well as on the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay at Old Trafford.
Both teams have also been linked with Wolves’ Ruben Neves by Sky Sports recently, and Ward-Prowse is a similar style of player, so he’d certainly be a fine alternative.
The report also links the likes of Spurs and Newcastle with Ward-Prowse, and they’d undoubtedly do well to win the race for his signature.
The set-piece maestro could be a real hit with the fans and help continue the rebuild under the new owners at St James’ Park, but it remains to be seen if it would be enough of a step up for him after an entire career at Southampton.
If Spurs finish in the top four ahead of United and Arsenal they would surely be in the best position to come out on top of this transfer battle, even if the Red Devils and the Gunners are the historically bigger names.