Tottenham ‘ready’ to stun West Ham with approach for £40m target Moyes wants to replace Declan Rice

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘ready’ to hijack West Ham United’s move for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to reports.

The 28-year-old put in some admirable performances for the Saints last season, scoring nine goals in 38 Premier League appearances. But he was unable to prevent them from being relegated.

Ward-Prowse played 90 minutes in Southampton’s Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday but he is still heavily linked with a departure from St Mary’s.

As reported by Football365, West Ham have identified Ward-Prowse as a potential replacement for Declan Rice. The Hammers have already tabled a £30m bid for the midfielder, but it was unsuccessful.

Southampton will allegedly only accept an offer of £40m for Ward-Prowse, who has been the club’s captain since 2020.

This has caught the attention of Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, who is keen to bolster his midfield ahead of the coming Premier League campaign.

Postecoglou has already snapped up his top target, James Maddison, who was signed from Leicester for £40m. But he still wants to bring in another new midfielder.

According to the Daily Star, Spurs are ‘willing’ to pay ‘much closer’ to Ward-Prowse’s £40m valuation than West Ham.

The report claims Tottenham ‘still have cash to splash’ and Tanguy Ndombele is on the cusp of a £11m move to Galatasaray.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is also in talks with Atletico Madrid over a £30m switch, while Giovani Lo Celso has been linked with a departure from the London club for some time.

As a result, Postecoglou will need to bring in at least one new midfielder this summer and Ward-Prowse could be an excellent option.

The England international has been a loyal servant at Southampton since making his debut aged 16 back in 2011. He has since gone on to make over 400 appearances for the Saints, scoring 55 goals, and registering 54 assists across all competitions.

Ward-Prowse is considered to be one of the best set-piece takers in Europe, too, which is something that Postecoglou would no doubt love to have at Tottenham.

The centre-mid ‘won’t push’ for a move away from St Mary’s. If Tottenham or West Ham table a bid worth £40m for him, though, it’s expected that Southampton will accept it.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Tottenham make a concrete bid for Ward-Prowse in the next few days. Or, indeed, if West Ham make an improved offer for him.

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