Newcastle join growing James Ward-Prowse chase but must pay hefty premium to land set-piece king

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in joining the growing number of clubs chasing the signature of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The England midfielder is known to be on the radar of London rivals Tottenham and West Ham, although that may have changed for the former as they close in on Brighton star Yves Bissouma.

The 27-year-old had another excellent season for Saints, despite their struggles in the second half of the campaign.

Ward-Prowse scored 11 times in 42 appearances in all competitions, including several of his trademark free-kicks.

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Despite being renowned for his set-piece quality, the England man has many other qualities to his game. That is certainly reflected in the asking price, with Southampton asking for around £75million.

With Spurs likely dropping out of the race, the Daily Mirror now claims that Newcastle are ready to use their financial muscle to battle the Hammers for the player.

Despite being tipped to spend heavily this summer, conflicting reports suggest Newcastle’s budget is capped at £100m.

While that might seem a