Southampton legend Lawrie McMenemy believes James Ward-Prowse won’t do ‘a Harry Kane’ as the Aston Villa target faces an uncertain future at St Mary’s, speaking to the Daily Echo.
While the England captain has hit out at suggestions he refused to return to training last week, the fact remains Kane was nowhere to be seen last Monday, leaving Nuno Espirito Santo in the lurch on the eve of the new Premier League season.
Fortunately for Southampton, there have been no such concerns about Ward-Prowse, a man determined not to upset the proverbial apple cart as he weighs up whether to stay at a club he joined as a wide-eyed eight-year-old.
According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa made a second bid, worth £25 million, for the eight-cap England international at the end of July.
Ward-Prowse, then, finds himself in a similar position to Jack Grealish with just three weeks of the transfer window remaining.
Does the talismanic captain walk away from his boyhood club in an attempt to take his game to an another level at a club that finished four places and 12 points above Southampton in the table last season?
Rather you than us, James, when it comes to that decision.
Would James Ward-Prowse swap Southampton for Aston Villa?
“I can understand Aston Villa’s approach for Ward-Prowse as they, like Spurs could with Kane, knew they would be losing their top player in Grealish. They have obviously lined up Ward-Prowse to take his place,” says McMenemy, who led Southampton to FA Cup glory in 1976.
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“They obviously know what a good player he is.
“But while in the old days a player on contract, if the club didn’t want him to go, he stayed, it worries me now with the money involved in signing-on fees and salaries that any paper talk might upset a player’s attitude.
“But while it (probably) has with Kane, I’m pretty sure it won’t have done with Ward-Prowse, who always gives 100 per cent to Southampton.”
Aston Villa have already spent almost £100 million combined on Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia and another Southampton star Danny Ings, while fans’ favourites Axel Tuanzebe and Ashley Young have also returned to Villa Park.
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