Report: Tottenham want to sign ‘unbelievable’ England international but may not be able to afford him

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Tottenham Hotspur may not be able to afford to buy England international James Ward-Prowse from Southampton this summer.

Sky Sports claim that the set-piece specialist is a Spurs target but one who could prove too costly so other alternatives are being looked at.

Saints skipper Ward-Prowse was linked with Tottenham last month but there have also been rumours of a move to their north London rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham may not be able to afford Ward-Prowse

Sky Sports reported on Spurs’ potential summer business and wrote: “The potential return of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer is a no-brainer and, like Perisic, is cost-effective.

“But it would be a different story for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, who would likely prove too expensive, so Conte and Paratici are going to have to work hard to find a top-class central midfielder at good value.

“Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was statistically the top-performing player in Serie A this season and he could fit the bill.“

In February, Ward-Prowse’s Southampton teammate Oriol Romeu said: “He is an unbelievable player, the way he works.

“He always finds a good option, he never gives the ball away, he works the hardest, he runs the longest.

“Ward-Prowse is probably going to be one of the most important players for this club. It is amazing to play alongside him, and enjoy this form together.”

That underlines the quality of the player and perhaps a deal could be done involving another English midfielder.

Southampton are reportedly keen on Harry Winks if Ward-Prowse goes, and the two clubs did a creative deal in 2020 involving Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Kyle Walker-Peters.

Perhaps something similar could be on the cards to allow Spurs to keep their costs down and Southampton to replace their captain, because at the moment, it seems a deal could be beyond them.