James Ward-Prowse is reportedly a Manchester United summer transfer target

Southampton’s talismanic captain James Ward-Prowse is being linked to a possible move to the Premier League’s fallen giants Manchester United in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, new United boss Erik ten Hag has picked out Ward-Prowse, as well as West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, as players who would ‘fit perfectly’ into his system when he takes the reigns of the Red Devils.

Their report says Ward-Prowse is “one of the first names on Ten Hag’s agenda” due to his passing and organisational abilities, as well as “the quality of his right foot”.

Ward-Prowse has played over 350 times for Southampton since breaking through to the first team from the Academy as a teenager.

This season, he has scored nine goals and assisted five in the Premier League for the Saints, and his eye-catching ability to score free-kicks has earned him some suitors.

The 27-year-old only signed his five-year contract with Southampton last summer, meaning he is tied to the South Coast club until 2026. The length of that deal, on top of his importance to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints side, would suggest a hefty transfer fee if United’s interest ever materialised into an offer.