Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly ready to fight it out over a massive £75 million move for Southampton midfielder James Ward Prowse this summer, according to the Daily Star.
The Saints captain, now 27 years old, is having a stellar season in Ralph Hassenhutl's engine room, weighing in with 9 goals and 5 assists so far this term. He has become renowned for his set-piece delivery and now sits second, behind only David Beckham, in the number of free-kicks scored in the Premier League.
On the fringes of the England squad under Gareth Southgate too, JWP is clearly in his prime, and it is something that the two Manchester Clubs apparently want to take advantage of, though they are not alone.
Six clubs involved as Manchester pair lead the way
As per the Daily Star, six clubs are tracking the midfielder, but the Manchester pair could be the far and away favourites to both attract the player, thought to be settled on the south coast, and also pay the sort of fee that would be required to prise him away.
'Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle are all tracking developments closely, while Aston Villa failed with a £25m swoop last summer', the report claims.
But, they add, the midfielder has interest from Manchester United, while Manchester City are big admirers too.
He has reportedly 'been added to the Reds summer shopping as they search for two new central midfielders as part of their planned close-season overhaul. But that is set to bring them into direct competition with their local rivals as Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of the England international.'
A move to Manchester United would hand Ward-Prowse the best chance of regular game time, with City boasting a strong selection of central midfielders. But, at present, he is doing just fine at Southampton and is sure to have caught Southgate's eye.
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