Southampton could have ‘bidding war’ over £50m star at St Mary’s

Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is wanted by ‘three or four’ Premier League teams and a bidding war would only be a good thing for the club, journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Ward-Prowse is set to leave the south coast this summer, where he has spent the entirety of his career, following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League for the first time in 11 years.

Southampton transfer news – James Ward-Prowse

According to Jones, West Ham are one of the clubs expected to lodge a bid for Ward-Prowse during the summer transfer window, with the Mail suggesting his price tag is set at £50 million.

The same source indicates that Liverpool are interested in the 28-year-old, but will wait for Southampton to lower their asking price towards the end of the transfer window. Newcastle are another Premier League club believed to be in the running.

Elsewhere, The Sun are reporting that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa are two more teams that are targeting Ward-Prowse. Wolves have just lost their own captain and central midfield talisman Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for £47 million, as per BBC Sport, so will certainly be in the market for a quality replacement and Ward-Prowse fits the bill.

What has Jones said about Southampton and Ward-Prowse?

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “They won’t have it all their own way because Ward-Prowse is wanted by three or four clubs in the Premier League, and it’s probably going to come down to who can satisfy what Southampton are looking for.

“I mean, the good thing for Southampton is that the more clubs that show interest, the more chance you’ve got of a bidding war.”

Where will Ward-Prowse end up this summer?

With West Ham set to lose Declan Rice, and Wolves losing Neves, those are the two clubs with the most need for Ward-Prowse. Therefore, they are more likely to stump up the £50 million Southampton are asking for. Aston Villa and Newcastle are both well stocked in central midfield and are less likely. Liverpool, after signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, have added a definite starter to their team but still require more depth and perhaps even a permanent replacement for Jordan Henderson.

Ward-Prowse is perfect in that sense, but Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to spend £50 million on a squad player given the team’s need for investment elsewhere, particularly for cover at centre-back and right-back.