Levy could repeat his Bale masterclass with Spurs summer swoop for £40m “master” – opinion
The midfield maestro could prove to be another high profile addition from the south coast side..
Tottenham Hotspur continued their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend, with talisman Harry Kane bagging four goals on what could well have been his farewell appearance at N17.
With speculation still rife that the 30-year-old is set to be on his way to German giants, Bayern Munich – despite an agreement having yet to be reached between the two clubs – the England skipper enjoyed a potential perfect send-off with a typically ruthless display in front of goal.
The long-serving centre-forward may not have been the only figure saying his goodbyes during Sunday’s clash, however, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also starting in midfield despite reports that the Danish maestro is set to join La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.
As per Football Insider, the Lilywhites are likely to try and acquire a replacement for the 27-year-old before sanctioning a sale, with manager Ange Postecoglou potentially set to be able to find a perfect option in the form of Hojbjerg’s former Southampton teammate, James Ward-Prowse.
How much would Ward-Prowse cost?
According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the north Londoners are potentially ready to hijack West Ham United’s move for the England international, with the 28-year-old having been watched by Spurs scouts on numerous occasions at the tail-end of last season.
As per the piece, the Saints are not likely to sell their influential captain ‘on the cheap’ having already knocked back bids from the Hammers, with the south coast side said to be demanding a fee in the region of £40m.
The Portsmouth-born ace has spent his whole career with his current side and thus is not set to ‘push for a transfer’, although with Russell Martin’s men now plying their trade in the Championship, a move away could be on the cards.
Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?
It would not be the first time that Tottenham have snapped up a stellar talent from Southampton, with chairman Daniel Levy having previously overseen the £10m signing of Gareth Bale from the St Mary’s side back in 2007.
While unlike Ward-Prowse, the Welshman was a raw, teenage talent at the time of the move, the explosive forward went on to sparkle over the next few years having made a stellar impact in a Spurs shirt, despite enduring a difficult opening period in which he failed to taste victory in his first 25 Premier League outings.
Having been snapped up following the Saints’ failed promotion charge during the 2006/07 campaign, the now-retired superstar would go on to score 72 goals and provide 58 assists in 237 games in all competitions across his two spells at the club, including netting 21 league goals during the 2012/13 season prior to his move to Real Madrid.
One notable trait that the wing wizard mastered during his time at White Hart Lane was his dead-ball brilliance, having memorably scored two free-kicks in the same game in a Europa League clash with Lyon back in February 2013.
That is a gift that is certainly shared by “set-piece master”, Ward Prowse – as described by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – with the Englishman having scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, ranking him just behind David Beckham as the most prolific in that regard in the competition’s history.
For Spurs to then be able to have another Bale-esque figure who can conjure up moments of magic in the form of Ward-Prowse would be a truly exciting prospect, with the latter man seemingly a “great fit” for the club, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
With Levy having reaped the rewards of plucking Bale from the south coast in the past, he could look to repeat that masterclass by signing the experienced Ward-Prowse this summer
