Aston Villa eyeing move for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse
Villa are targeting Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse after agreeing a club-record £38million deal for Norwich City playmaker Emi Buendia.
The 24-year-old is poised to join this week for an initial £33m fee which could rise by a further £5m, depending on add-ons.
It exceeds the £33m package which Villa agreed with Brentford for Ollie Watkins last September and is the latest statement of intent from the club’s billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Boss Dean Smith is again being provided a healthy budget and a move for midfielder Ward-Prowse is next on the agenda, with Villa keen to get business done early in the window.
The 26-year-old England international scored eight goals last season and his prowess from set-pieces is of particular appeal to Smith, with Villa skipper Jack Grealish the most fouled player in the Premier League over the last two seasons.
Easing the creative burden on Grealish is the primary focus for Villa this summer and Buendia, who scored 15 goals and made 16 more for Norwich in the Championship last term, was identified as their top target.
Arsenal were also keen on his services but it was Villa’s offer which proved more attractive to the Canaries, who were also keen to get a deal done quickly to give them time to bring in a replacement.
Talks intensified late last week with Buendia, currently away on international duty with Argentina, undergoing a medical in South America over the weekend. A sell-on clause is also thought to have been included in the deal.
Buendia’s signing will take Villa’s spending on players beyond £300m since Sawiris and Edens took over with the club on the brink of administration in 2018. This will be the third year running Villa have broken their transfer record.
Smith confirmed last week the club would again be targeting players with Premier League experience. Burnley winger Dwight McNeil is also believed to be on Villa’s shortlist..
“In terms of our recruitment, we talk about the sweet spots we’re looking for, which is players who have Premier League experience and are [ideally] British because there is no adaptation risk at all,” said Smith.
