Aston Villa have reportedly had a £25m bid for James Ward-Prowse rejected by Southampton as we step up our interest in the midfield ace.
The 26-year-old has established himself as a key figure for the Saints and has now racked up over 250 appearances in the Premier League while scoring 30 goals and providing 31 assists.
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With Villa looking to bolster our options in midfield, the England international has seemingly emerged as a possible solution, but The Athletic report that we’ve had a £25m bid rejected by our Premier League rivals.
It’s added that Southampton are keen not to lose their influential midfielder and were far from impressed with Villa’s opening bid, but a second offer is expected from us as we step up our pursuit.
Time will tell if it becomes a successful one, as we appear to have some work to do in order to convince Southampton to sell, but any potential arrival will have a knock-on effect for those in the current squad.
Conor Hourihane has been training with the group again this summer after his loan spell with Swansea City last season, but time will tell if it’s just a temporary return or if he will fit into Dean Smith’s plans this season.
Elsewhere, Villa also have John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba and Morgan Sanson vying for a starting berth in midfield, while the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, the Ramsey brothers and other young stars in the youth set-up will be pushing to be involved too.
Nevertheless, with his experience, quality and ability to fit in perfectly in our system and style of play, Ward-Prowse could be an excellent addition if we are able to secure an agreement.
The deep midfield area is one that is seen as a weakness by some Villa fans, and so along with the additions of Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young so far this summer, it could be another smart piece of business from the Villa hierarchy and Smith as we look to strengthen the squad and climb up the Premier League table in the upcoming campaign.
