In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Premier League forward Kevin Phillips urged Newcastle United to move in for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. Phillips said, “Ward-Prowse is a top, top player.
“It would take a fair bit of money to get him out of Southampton though because he signed a new deal at the beginning of the season. He committed to the club. It would take something special to get him out of there.
“For me, he’s the best dead-ball specialist in the Premier League. That is why he’d be a massive asset for Newcastle. It would be an exciting signing.
“You don’t want to be paying over the odds though. Any club selling to Newcastle will be charging a premium. They must be prepared for that.
“Ward-Prowse would be a solid signing for any club.”
Ward-Prowse’s Rich Vein Of Form At The St. Mary’s Stadium
The 27-year-old has made another impressive start to this campaign after managing to produce some influential displays for the Saints over the past few months. Ward-Prowse has registered two goals and two assists in ten matches for Southampton this season on all fronts.
The Portsmouth-born talent has been a consistent performer for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side as he is averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.0 clearances, 1.3 shots, 1.5 crosses and 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League. The Saints star has even been excellent when distributing possession from midfield, based on his pass completion rate of 87.3% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The 4th Official uses images provided by the following image agency:
Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.de/)
Imago Images (https://www.imago-images.de/)
Is Ward-Prowse The Right Choice For Newcastle United?
Ward-Prowse is an expert from dead-ball situations as he can whip in some dangerous crosses into the opposition penalty box. He usually packs a lot of power with his deliveries and shots in the opponent’s half and can chip in with a few crucial goals and assists for his team.
The nine-time England international doesn’t mind doing some of the defensive dirty work in midfield. He usually reads the danger quickly to earn possession back at the centre of the park. Ward-Prowse also doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when his teammates are in danger of being caught out at the back. Hence, we can expect the set-piece specialist to be a great choice for Newcastle United in January or next summer.
A complete midfielder of Ward-Prowse’s skillset will be a terrific addition to the Magpies squad. The Tyneside outfit have now got the financial resources to acquire the services of the English talent, so they should strongly consider going all out to bring him to St. James’ Park next year.
