James Ward-Prowse is a 'realistic and ambitious name' that could feature on Newcastle United's shortlist, Liam Kennedy writes for Newcastle World.

The lowdown

It was only in August when Ward-Prowse signed a new five-year contract at Southampton.

But Newcastle have become 'one of the most powerful football operations on the planet' following the completion of their takeover.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has declared Ward-Prowse the best free-kick taker he's ever seen.

The Englishman needs to score one more direct free-kick to tie with Sebastian Larsson (11) at the top of the all-time Premier League list.

Ward-Prowse actually haunted Newcastle recently when he scored a 96th-minute penalty to snatch a draw for Southampton at St James' Park.

The latest

Kennedy picks out Ward-Prowse as part of a list of players the Magpies 'could be looking at'.

He says the addition of the 'set-piece specialist' would bring a 'different dimension' to the Newcastle squad.

Kennedy also notes that Ward-Prowse hasn't missed 'a single minute of football in back-to-back seasons' so should offer 'energy'.

The verdict

Ward-Prowse is a very good player who's still only in his mid-20s, but it's hard to imagine he would have signed such a lengthy new deal unless he was very happy at Southampton.

Of course, the Newcastle project will be tempting, but he's on track to become a legend at St Mary's.

And we should also recognise that his new deal puts the Saints in an immensely strong negotiating position, even in the face of Newcastle's wealth.

In other news, could this Manchester United star be an option?