Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl shuts down James Ward-Prowse exit talk amidst Tottenham Hotspur interest
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has played down talk of an exit for James Ward-Prowse amidst interest from Tottenham Hotspur. This revelation will be a damning update for the latter if there are active plans to sign the midfielder at the end of the current campaign.
Tottenham have already expressed their interest in signing Ward-Prowse in the summer transfer window. With four years left in his current deal, he is valued at around £75million, which is very expensive, to say the least. However, it seems that the midfielder is not in the market in any case after this season.
Speaking in the pre-match presser ahead of the Brentford clash (h/t Daily Mail Online), Hasenhuttl has expressed that the England international is happy with life right now, and there is no reason to think that he would push for a move elsewhere at the end of this season
“He has another four years on his contract, he’s our captain and he’s happy here. Fans love him and we know how important he is to our team. The development of his game is why he’s a true winner. I think he’s very exceptional. I haven’t seen any players similar.”
Spurs must look elsewhere
Even if the 27-year-old was available in the market, we should simply not target him considering the ridiculous price tag for his services. However, that is not the case, so we must look for other reinforcements now that we have received information on the central midfielder’s current situation.
The Premier League ace would have been a valuable addition to our midfield, considering how he has stood out in a struggling Saints team this term. With ten goals and eight assists to his name from 39 matches across all competitions, it is no wonder why he has also been linked to Manchester City and Manchester United.
Antonio Conte only has four options to choose from in his midfield which would not be ideal in a long season. Even though Conte mostly utilises a two-man midfield pairing, the depth can be questioned by injuries or suspensions, especially when we engage in several competitions from the next term onwards.
Ward-Prowse would have greatly boosted our ranks, but it appears that he is not an option this summer. As such, we must look elsewhere for more adequate signings following Conte’s approval.
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Fabio Paratici and co. simply must do their best to back their man in charge to finally bring success to N17. Successful transfer businesses would be the solution to that plight, and bringing in a quality midfield signing should be one of the most important tasks this summer.
Let’s hope that the North Londoners can find more suitable targets who are also reasonably priced, unlike Ward-Prowse. After all, we also need to bolster other areas in the squad and going big on one player might not be the best approach.
