Southampton: Ward-Prowse linked with transfer to Bundesliga
By Marc Walker
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has suffered from a lack of game-time this season, and a move to the Bundesliga could be on the horizon.
The 24-year-old has been out of favour under Mark Hughes and has made just four appearances – amounting to 200 minutes on the pitch – so far during this campaign.
According to the Express, German top-flight club RB Leipzig have taken an interest in signing him from Saints and making him the latest Englishman to move to the Bundesliga in the process.
Jadon Sancho has been in remarkable form for Borussia Dortmund since his move from Manchester City, whilst other such as Reece Oxford and Ademola Lookman also gained valuable experience at Monchengladbach and Leipzig respectively last season.
If Ward-Prowse doesn’t see a future for himself at Saints where he came through the youth ranks, it would potentially be a good move for him to get regular time on the pitch this stage of his career.
dark. Next. Hojbjerg back in contention for Saints against City
More from Saints Marching
- Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
- Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
- It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
- Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
- A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse
It will certainly be a tough decision for him though. He has been at the club since the age of eight and has made 209 appearances to date after breaking into the first-team during the 2011-12 season.
Despite his service to Saints, he has never really been able to define his best position. It is still unclear how to bring the best out of him after displays in Central-Midfield, Defensive-Midfield, Attacking-Midfield, Right-Midfield and even Right-Back on occasion.
31 caps for England Under-21s saw him eventually take the captain’s armband, and he made his senior international debut against Germany back in 2017. With just one cap to his name though, it could certainly be argued that he is a player capable of making more international appearances in the future.
One attribute that has made Ward-Prowse stand out is his delivery from set-pieces. This has seen comparisons to the technique of David Beckham, but even that cannot be enough to give him a regular place in the team.
Whatever happens for him, he is reaching a crucial stage in his career. At 24, he is unlikely to improve much more so will need to be playing to reach the optimum level that his performance can take him.