Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris are set to back a move for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa haven’t wasted any time this summer

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City in a club-record deal, and it now appears as if their next big-money move could be one for Ward-Prowse.

Another man who is set for talks with Villa is Ashley Young, whereas the club were reportedly in discussions with striker Josh King earlier this month.

The Latest: Ward-Prowse update

A Villa source informed Football Insider that both Edens and Sawiris are keen for a deal to be completed in time for the midfielder to be at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground for the start of pre-season.

Dean Smith’s side are set to return for pre-season on July 5, which is in 19 days time. The Villa hierarchy want the central midfielder through the door by then to bed the free-kick specialist into Smith’s system.

A move for Ward-Prowse will take a huge fee, the report adds, and a push for a deal to be wrapped up as soon as possible was aided following his omission from England’s European Championship squad this summer.

The Verdict: A major coup if a deal goes through

Should Villa seal a deal for Ward-Prowse, it would only add to their ambition to establish themselves as an elite Premier League side.

Villa fans found out first hand how effective the 26-year-old can be last season when he scored twice and registered an assist in a 4-3 win for the Saints at Villa Park.

He appears to be in the prime of his career and has also racked up 269 appearances in the Premier League, and a move for the Saints captain may also help persuade Jack Grealish to remain at the club beyond the summer, amid links to Manchester City.

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Grealish latest, find out more here.