Southampton plan to tell Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur that James Ward-Prowse is not for sale at any price this summer, as reported by The Mail.
12 months ago, Ralph Hasenhuttl had to contend with incessant speculation regarding the future of his talismanic captain.
Clearly, Southampton are determined to avoid a repeat scenario this time around.
The transfer window isn’t even open yet but, according to The Mail, the Saints are wasting no time making it clear anyone planning to launch a bid for England international Ward-Prowse would be wasting their time.
The Portsmouth-born midfielder, who was the subject of a £25 million bid from Aston Villa not long ago, signed a new five-year deal in August 2021.
As a result, The Saints are under no pressure to cash in on a man they value in the region of £50 million, especially after the South Coast club received some welcome investment from billionaire businessman Dragan Solak, further strengthening Hasenhuttl’s hand.
Is Ward-Prowse staying at Southampton?
Tottenham and Newcastle are reportedly big fans of Ward-Prowse and with good reason. The 27-year-old is playing the best football of his career right now, hitting double figures for the first time with a pair of long-range strikes in last week’s comeback at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Ward-Prowse halved Brighton’s lead with a trademark 25-yard free-kick at the Amex. Only one player in the history of the Premier League has now scored more set-pieces – the legendary David Beckham – than the Southampton skipper.
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“World-class,” Hasenhuttl told the Daily Echo after Ward-Prowse nearly took the back of the Wolverhampton Wanderers net off it’s hinges in January.
“I’ve seen a lot of good ones from him. But this is by far the best one I’ve seen from him.
“Unbelievable from this distance against this goalkeeper (Jose Sa) – one of the best in the league – to score like this. Amazing.”
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