Martin Keown says the ‘quite magnificent’ Newcastle United transfer target James Ward-Prowse will leave in the summer after Southampton’s relegation was confirmed on Saturday.
After 11 years, Southampton were relegated from the Premier League after their 2-0 defeat to Fulham.
James Ward-Prowse is the Saints captain and their key player, but he hasn’t been able to stop the club’s rot this season, which has seen them have three different managers.
Even when the South Coast club were doing well, there was talk about Ward-Prowse’s future and joining a team higher up the Premier League table.
But now that they are going to be playing Championship football next season, then it will probably result in a mass clearout.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown thinks Ward-Prowse ‘deserves’ be playing in the Premier League and he thinks he will leave following yesterday’s news of Southampton’s relegation, as he told BBC Sport.
“It’s been coming,” said Keown about Southampton’s relegation. “James Ward-Prowse just alluded to it there and he has been quite magnificent.
“I am sure he is a player, they will lose his services. He deserves to be playing in the Premier League. It’s a pity you couldn’t build around him, so it’s very sad and you saw the Southampton fans leave in their numbers.”
WARD-PROWSE TO NEWCASTLE?
Eddie Howe has gone down this road before when they snapped up Nick Pope for little money from then-relegated Burnley.
That has proven to work wonders and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they go down the same road again, there are suggestions that Howe wants to sign the 28-year-old.
A set-piece specialist, who is probably the world’s best free-kick taker right now, he is a player that would go up a level at St James’ Park and also increase the quality within their squad as they prepare for Champions League football.
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