West Ham tipped to put Southampton in a dilemma as they're playing around with the idea of an exchange deal of James Ward-Prowse for Saints star Mateus Fernandes.
Recently, Saints fans caught wind of the club's Dibling stance, and it's safe to say, the Everton rumour has sent the fanbase into panic mode. And rightly so, as they now stare down the Southampton futures of other superstars, too, particularly Mateus Fernandes.
Having shielded the midfielder from Premier League offers throughout the summer, Saints fans had recently begun taking a breath, but it seems they are far from rest on the Mateus transfer saga yet.
That's because West Ham has taken notice of Saints' reckless transfer mood, and they might arrive with a trap move that would even have fans get lured in. Well, it's a possible trade deal where Southampton can be offered James Ward-Prowse for Mateus Fernandes' exit.
Recently, SaintsExtra confirmed on West Ham's shrewd Mateus Fernandes' plan, saying: "West Ham have submitted an offer for Mateus Fernandes of Southampton, but he & his agent are said to prefer a move abroad — there was talk that James Ward-Prowse could be offered in exchange, but it is currently a pure cash offer"
Let's admit it, there would hardly be any Saints fans unwilling to have club hero Ward-Prowse back on any terms, yet that's the catch Southampton needs to take care of.
Southampton must choose Mateus Fernandes over Ward-Prowse
Imagining a hypothetical situation of this swap, there's no doubt that Ward-Prowse bringing back his midfield flair could be the best thing for Saints for a Championship promotion push. But the big question is what's next.
That's because, having entered his 30s, Ward-Prowse's never ageing back, with his limited speed weakness expected to go worse. And while it's been a key reason for West Ham's Mateus plan, Saints must examine if their defensive midfield scarcity can punish Ward-Prowse too much on his stamina and game controllability.
Interestingly, that's not even a consideration point with Fernandes, for how effortlessly he has been covering the complete midfield for the Saints recently.
Overall, for Southampton, the Ward-Prowse and Mateus choice feels quite a dilemma. But the hope remains that the club will take this decision practically, no matter how much the heart calls for Ward-Prowse's St. Mary's return.