Transfer Talk: Saints praying for set-piece king Ward-Prowse to stay put

James Ward-Prowse popped up with yet another stunning free-kick to salvage a 1-1 draw for Southampton against Leeds last weekend.

Only David Beckham has scored more goals from dead-ball situations in the Premier League than the Saints skipper’s 13 overall.

But despite being known as one of the top flight’s finest strikers of a ball, the 27-year-old’s England place at the World Cup is far from secure.

With Ralph Hasenhuttl's men set to welcome Chelsea to St Mary's on Sunday, we assess whether it could be time for the 10-cap international to move on.

Complete package

His trademark free-kicks grab the headlines, but Ward-Prowse’s abilities stretch far further.

He is Southampton’s lieutenant on the field, starting off attacks with his quality of distribution.

Often overlooked is the box-to-box midfielder’s role in breaking up the opposition’s play alongside Oriol Romeu in the middle of the park. 

Following that second-half equaliser at Elland Road, boss Hasenhuttl was keen to point out his captain’s qualities elsewhere.

The Austrian said: "I can guarantee you it's not the last he will score.

"He's for sure one of the best in the world in this part of the game and for us a very important player.

"I don't need to talk about [his other qualities]. You can talk about it. Tell the people it's more than just set-pieces."

Three Lions hopes

His ability to excel in multiple areas of the pitch should make him any international manager’s dream.

Yet Ward-Prowse is far from an England regular, with just a handful of caps since his Three Lions debut in 2017 and a squad place at a major tournament still alluding him.

In previous eras, the Portsmouth native might be a nailed-on pick but it is a sign of the quality Gareth Southgate has at his disposal that Ward-Prowse is still only on the fringes.

He can count himself unlucky not to make it to last summer’s European Championships having been in the preliminary squad before the tournament.

He has since returned to the fold but just two appearances — a qualifier against minnows Andorra and a recent friendly versus Ivory Coast — out of nine England games this season shows he is far from a fixture.

The competition

Declan Rice is one of the first names on Southgate’s team sheet, but the second spot in the midfield pivot looks up for grabs.

Leeds' Kalvin Phillips shone there at Euro 2020, while Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has featured in five of England’s nine games since that tournament.

The emergence of Conor Gallagher adds further competition, while teenage star Jude Bellingham is earmarked as the long-term answer in central midfield.

But the statistics show Ward-Prowse is one of the highest performers of that group.

Gallagher is the only challenger with more goals than Ward-Prowse this term, while the Saints man is on top for chances created (59), interceptions (34) and passing accuracy (87%).

That is before you factor in the secret weapon of a right foot he possesses from set-pieces. 

Time to move?

So why is he finding it such a struggle to gain Southgate’s trust on a regular basis?

As is often said with players shining for lesser clubs, it could be his lack of experience at the top level which is hindering chances of a regular shot for his country.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville thinks this summer may be the time for Ward-Prowse to take the next step after years impressing out of the limelight on the South Coast.

Neville said last February: "By the end of his career he’ll be a really top player. He’s a top player now at Southampton, he has been able to build a real bank of games and develop his game without the big spotlight in terms of a big club.

"I can see it coming for him. I know Southampton fans won’t want to hear that, but there has been a lot of talk in the last few months about him moving on and taking that next step."

The World Cup being delayed to November this year buys Ward-Prowse more time to impress the England boss ahead of the tournament.

Aston Villa pushed hard for a move for the midfielder last summer, though moving to a team currently level on points with his current club might not be the step up envisaged.

Both Liverpool and Arsenal have been credited with an interest of late — with both moves potentially allowing him to feature in the Champions League next term.

The idea of leaving Southampton will not be taken lightly but with his England prospects on the line, he may consider his options this summer.