Reliable journalist Ashley Preece has provided an update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

Ward-Prowse was first linked with a move to the Midlands last month, a day after Villa agreed on a club-record fee with Norwich for Emiliano Buendia.

There have been various reports on the 26-year-old since, including Villa’s hopes to get the Saints captain in before the start of pre-season, along with the player seemingly being keen on quitting Southampton for Villa.

However, a deal is yet to materialise, and it seems as if this transfer rumour could soon be dead in the water.

The Latest: Preece’s update

Preece was answering numerous questions from Villa supporters in a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Friday evening.

One of those was on Ward-Prowse, to which the journalist claimed that the ‘ship has sailed’ on a potential move for the Southampton skipper – a damning three-word admission. Here is the full reply:

“You're bang on; ship has sailed. However, it could be intriguing to see how the Danny Ings situation plays out; he's rejected a new deal wanting to move and, if he does, how will JWP react to that? As it stands, there's no deal there for Villa, though.”

The Verdict: Villa prioritising other areas?

Ward-Prowse is primarily a central midfielder, so perhaps Villa have now moved on to strengthening other parts of their squad. A number 10 is thought to be a priority at this moment in time, with Emile Smith Rowe a top target.

Dean Smith also has just three senior central defenders following Bjorn Engels’ departure, so that could also be another area of concern. Furthermore, Villa have only two senior goalkeepers in Emiliano Martinez and Jed Steer after Tom Heaton left the club, with Wayne Hennessey being linked with a move to the Midlands.

The ship seems to have sailed regarding Ward-Prowse according to Preece, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the end of their transfer business this summer.

In other news: Reliable reporter shares just how much Aston Villa offered for Kalvin Phillips, find out more here.