Southampton have rejected a bid for midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Aston Villa, according to David Ornstein. Villa’s offer was reportedly £25 million, but Southampton are poised to demand more for the England international.
Aston Villa’s Approach for James Ward-Prowse Rejected
Transfer Activity at Villa Park
Aston Villa have been active in the transfer market this summer. They signed Argentine attacker Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City, while Ashley Young returned to Villa Park after 10 years on a free transfer after leaving Inter Milan.
Several players have also departed, with full-backs Neil Taylor and Ahmed Elmohamedy released, while Bjorn Engels completed a permanent transfer to Royal Antwerp.
Their transfer activity lingers around the uncertainty surrounding Jack Grealish, with the attacking midfielder targeted by Manchester City. The 25-year-old continues to be linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium, and the Premier League champions have made an opening offer of £100 million for Grealish.
It remains to be seen whether Villa’s talisman last season stays at the club, but their approach for Ward-Prowse is not connected to the situation.
James Ward-Prowse: A Difficult Target
James Ward-Prowse is the latest target for Villa manager Dean Smith. Ward-Prowse was included in England’s 33-man preliminary squad for Euro 2020, but he did not make the final 26. The England international is an excellent set-piece taker, scoring four direct free-kicks in the Premier League last season. The central midfielder is Southampton’s captain, and signed a new five-year deal last summer.
Southampton are under no pressure to sell Ward-Prowse. They made a good start last season, and were close to the top for a long time. Their form fell away in the second half of the season, however, and they finished 15th in the league. Ward-Prowse was one of their better players, and manager Ralph Hasenhüttl has the midfielder in his plans for next season.
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