James Ward-Prowse Next Club Odds: Saints skipper linked to Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa

With Southampton being all but relegated to the Championship, James Ward-Prowse has become the subject of various transfer rumours as of late.

The midfielder has proved he’s more than capable on the international stage and, with his trademark freekicks, he’s a solid asset to add to any Premier League side.

It’s very likely that his 12-year tenure at the Saints comes to an end which will be heartbreaking for Southampton fans and for Ward-Prowse himself who has been at the club since 2003.

Plenty of Premier League clubs have shown their interest in the midfielder and we’ll be taking a look at what the betting market suggests for his next move.

Newcastle

Newcastle are always mentioned these days when it comes to fresh transfer rumours and thanks to their seemingly infinite source of money, they’re often installed as the favourite.

Well, this time is no different as they come in as the 9/4 frontrunners to sign Southampton’s midfield maestro.

Squad depth is going to be key for Newcastle next season if they want to keep up their consistency throughout the campaign.

They’re very much in the running for the Champions League positions this season and at the very least you expect them to get European football.

This is something that many Newcastle fans will never have experienced before and will be a fresh experience for plenty of the Newcastle squad; getting used to playing so much football is tough and that’s where they’ll require reinforcements on the pitch.

This is where players like Ward-Prowse come in to help bolster that midfield.

The 28-year-old is expected to be available for a fairly decent price if Southampton are to get relegated which is looking incredibly likely.

Though the fee won’t matter too much to Newcastle’s Saudi owners, they can certainly be more competitive when bidding for the player if the price is set a lot lower.

This is a move that makes complete sense when you consider Ward-Prowse should be available and Newcastle need more members in the midfield, rumours are suggesting they’ve already inquired about him and that could see his price be cut from 9/4 at any time.

Spurs

A lot of the recent rumours surrounding Ward-Prowse have surrounded Tottenham, who are reportedly keeping an eye on the midfielder.

Spurs have been uninspiring this season which seems like an all too familiar tale for them these days.

Spurs are in need of some fresh talent to revitalise their squad and a player like Ward-Prowse could be exactly what they need.

The Tottenham squad is already full of stars, they’re just lacking some key players to get the ball rolling. Ward-Prowse isn’t the biggest name but he’s the type of player to come in and do exactly the job he’s meant to do.

Tottenham lack creativity in the midfield and with their options in the middle being incredibly limited, they’ve had to rely on the same two players: Hojbjerg and Skipp. This is no disrespect towards them but you can’t rely on two players to be your midfield options and they can aim a lot higher than those two. 

Ward-Prowse would add stability to the midfield and could even free up his former Saints teammate Hojbjerg a little bit more to run his defensive duties. The Southampton man also adds goals to any midfield with his freekicks which he can score from just about anywhere on the pitch. 

For me, it’s a no-brainer. Spurs are desperate for midfielders and they’re famous for not paying much in the transfer window.

Ward-Prowse will be available for a cheap price given Southampton’s chances of getting relegated and he should fit the Spurs team very well.

We don’t know yet who is going to be in charge of Tottenham next season but he’s likely to be on any new manager's radar if he’s bringing in fresh talent.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have been revatlised under Unai Emery who has taken them to 7th place in the table which is quite remarkable considering he took over when they were rooted in 15th place.

A European charge is definitely on the cards for Villa and with the Europa League in their sights, similar to Newcastle, they’ll need to add some depth to their squad if they want to compete throughout the season.

Villa have a decent amount of options in the midfield with Douglas Luiz, Leander Dendoncker, John McGinn, and Jacob Ramsey.

The midfield isn’t the place where they’re desperate for numbers so it doesn’t make too much sense to go in for Ward-Prowse. He is of course a very solid player but I don’t think the midfield is where they are struggling at the moment. 

Villa have shown interest in the past for the midfielder and they are reportedly keeping tabs on him, but it’s very much a longshot that they’ll land him.

It all depends on other clubs' interest in the midfielder and the price he’s available at; if Spurs and Newcastle don’t go in for him, he’s worth a punt for any club.

Others

As usual, the market gets pretty dicey after the big players in the market.

We’ve got Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds all mentioned in the betting at prices north of 7/1, but Ward-Prowse seems to be aiming higher in the Premier League and doesn’t want to be involved in another relegation scrap.

He has all the talent in the world and with his freekicks he’s an asset to any midfield, but he is much more than just a freekick machine.

He should be available at a decent price considering Southampton’s inevitable relegation, and a number of Premier League teams are said to be interested in him.