Krishnan Sreekumar
Incoming new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag keen to sign Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse
According to The Sun, incoming new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is keen on signing Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse in the upcoming summer transfer window in order to bolster his midfield.
Ward-Prowse has been the driving force behind this Southampton side over the past few years, and his displays have only improved under the tutelage of manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. Playing alongside Oriol Romeu in midfield, the Englishman has impressed for the Saints.
His performances in the middle of the park have even seen him become an England international, despite not playing for a Premier League giant. This is a testament to his abilities on the ball, with his talent at putting the ball in the back of the net second to none in the top-flight.
With the summer transfer window looming over us, both Manchester clubs may be set to battle it out for the 27-year-old. Both ten Hag and Pep Guardiola are admirers of the midfielder, so it will be interesting to see which of the two bosses manages to secure his signature – if at all they do.
Tug-of-war for Ward-Prowse in Manchester
The interest from United and City for the Southampton skipper is sure to see Southampton make the most of the opportunity to reap the rewards. It certainly seems so, as the south club’s captain is expected to set the Manchester sides back by around £75m in the summer.
The Red Devils see Ward-Prowse fitting in at Old Trafford by playing in the midfield holding role, which is an area that the club need reinforcements in – given the departure of Nemanja Matic at the end of the season.
Since the retirement of Michael Carrick in 2018, United have lacked a midfield general and lynchpin that can dictate the tempo of the game. Matic remains the squad’s only holding midfield player, and although Fred and Scott McTominay have tried their hands at the role, they have not been convincing.
Donny van de Beek was signed in 2020 in the hopes that this problem would be addressed, but bizarrely, he was never afforded many opportunities to prove his worth to the team. He was shipped out on loan to Everton in January and is expected back in the summer. Now, it seems as though the Red Devils have targeted Ward-Prowse to fix this issue in midfield.
Although the Southampton man has a contract with his side until June 2026, United will hope that the lure of joining one of English football’s elite clubs will work in their favour of convincing him to pick them over their neighbours.
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City may offer the player opportunities to win more trophies, but at United, he could lead the side in a new era ushered in by ten Hag as the manager looks to build a new squad. Guardiola’s team already houses stalwarts such as Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield and it would be a tough task for Ward-Prowse to dismantle them in the pecking order.
The Dutchman, meanwhile. is hoping to bring out a revolution at Old Trafford, signing players that he feels can implement the vision and ideas that brought him much success with Ajax Amsterdam. It would be in the club’s best interest to back the man and give him the tools necessary to win us our first trophy since 2017.
