Tottenham are reportedly ready to hijack a £40million deal for a top West Ham target, despite recent reports that the Hammers have now officially ended their interest in the player.
New boss Ange Postecoglou still wants to add another midfielder to his squad before the window shuts, with Rodrigo Bentancur sidelined for the start to the season and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg still strongly tipped to head to Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona star Franck Kessie was rumoured to be his top target before the Barcelona star opted to become the latest player to taste the riches on offer in the Saudi Pro League.
And that has now led to renewed interest in Southampton star James Ward-Prowse, according to a report in the Daily Star.
The England midfielder has been firmly on West Ham’s radar since they sold Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105million, although it was claimed late last week that the Hammers have now dropped out of the race for the Saints star after being put off by his asking price.
The London Stadium outfit’s most recent offer of £25m was immediately knocked back by the relegated Saints, who began life back in the Championship with a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.
The south coast club are determined not to sell one of their star men on the cheap, however, and are also taking a similar approach to Liverpool’s interest in Romeo Lavia.
But the Star now reports that Tottenham could look to pounce on West Ham’s hesitancy by trumping them with a bid of their own. However, it will take an offer in the region of £40m to convince Southampton into a sale.
Ward-Prowse is also unlikely to force an exit through having spent his entire professional career at St Mary’s, racking up more than 400 senior appearances.
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Saints star a good fit for Tottenham
The 28-year-old set-piece-specialist would be an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s squad and is probably more suited to the Australian’s high-energy style than the more laboured Hojbjerg.
Spurs are also expected to offload playmaker Tanguy Ndombele to Turkish giants Galatasaray, which will open up a space in Postecoglou’s squad.
However, the big question remains whether Daniel Levy is prepared to spend £40m on a 28-year-old, even one that is just one behind David Beckham in terms of free-kick goals in Premier League history.
Tottenham, who are expected to announce the signing of centre-back Micky van de Ven in the next 24 hours, are back in pre-season action on Sunday when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in north London.
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