West Ham United have reportedly joined the race with Manchester United to land Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse
New manager Erik ten Hag is looking to refresh options in midfield after identifying key issues within the squad.
Regular starters Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba have already left the club on a free transfer with the club eager to replace them.
In recent weeks United have been linked with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, who is said to be the number one target, as well as Christian Eriksen.
James Garner is set to stay for at least the pre-season in a bid to impress Ten Hag going into the new term.
According to The Sun, West Ham and Newcastle have joined United’s pursuit of Ward-Prowse leaving multiple options available to the English midfielder.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl recently insisted that the central midfielder is not for sale.
In an interview conducted in May, the manager said “He has another four years on his contract, he’s our captain and he’s happy here.
“Fans love him and we know how important he is to our team.
“The development of his game is why he’s a true winner.
“I think he’s very exceptional. I haven’t seen any players similar.”
United may seem behind in any pursuit of Ward-Prowse but it looks unlikely that he will leave for another club this summer.
The club will be eager to find more midfield alternatives to De Jong as the summer transfer window ticks on.