According to a report by The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur and managing director Fabio Paratici have joined the race to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse alongside Aston Villa.

The Lowdown: Spurs now in centre-midfielder chase...

News has emerged recently of Spurs targeting more and more central midfield players, with the Daily Star claiming they have their eye on Denis Zakaria, Corentin Tolisso and Joao Palhinha among others.

This is apparently due to club record signing Tanguy Ndombele's unrest in the English capital and Spurs wish to bring in another signing in that position.

Now, The Telegraph bring news of yet another midfielder on the radar for Paratici.

The Latest: Spurs preparing move to sign Ward-Prowse...

Tottenham and Villa are now allegedly 'preparing moves' to sign the Saints star and could swoop after the 2021/2022 Premier League season starts this weekend.

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It is believed that Paratici will test Southampton's resolve after they sold Danny Ings, while Jannik Vestergaard is also set to leave St Mary's (Sky Sports).

However, they face competition from the Villans are who are also preparing a swoop and have had their eye on the England international for a while.

The Telegraph also say that former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted Ward-Prowse during his time in north London and the club remain admirers.

The Verdict: What Spurs need?

Ward-Prowse would certainly be an astute addition for Spurs in midfield as a bit of a tidy all-rounder.

The 26-year-old started every Premier League game under Ralph Hasenhuttl last season and averaged an impressive 2 tackles per 90 in that time.

Only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg managed more in midfield when it comes to the Spurs squad, with Ward-Prowse also impressing in the forward areas.

He managed eight goals and seven assists for Southampton over 2020/2021, indicating he can contribute all over the pitch.

Hasenhuttl lauded the player as 'unbelievable' and 'outstanding' for his contribution last year and we believe he could be a smart signing for Spurs.

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