Southampton will hold out for around £50m for star man James Ward-Prowse this summer, even if they are to be relegated, according to reports.
The England international has been one of few bright sparks in a dismal season on the south coast, with Ward-Prowse continuing to impress with his set-pieces and currently second in the club’s goalscoring charts this season.
However, the Saints sit rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, four points from safety with just seven games left to play this season, and look destined for the drop.
And, now 28-years-old, Ward-Prowse is ready to leave his boyhood club in search of another Premier League club, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all on the hunt for new midfielders this summer.
But he won’t come cheap. According to reports, the Saints will demand £50m for their set-piece specialist this summer, even if they are relegated come the end of the campaign.
He will not be the only one leaving the club this summer should they be relegated, with a mass exodus expected from St Mary’s ahead of their Championship season.
As per 90min, ‘a number of key players - including Kyle Walker-Peters, Mohammed Salisu, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Romeo Lavia - are expected to leave St. Mary’s if they go down’.
Lavia is another set to raise the club significant funds with plenty of interest in the young Belgian. Manchester City have a buyback option of £40m that comes into effect in 2024, meaning that any interested club may have to match or exceed that this summer in order to lure him away from St Mary’s.
Walker-Peters has long been linked with a move to Manchester United, meanwhile, with Erik ten Hag reportedly on the hunt for a right-back this summer.
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