Newcastle United transfer target James Ward-Prowse has been told he can leave Southampton in the summer transfer window, according to a report from TalkSPORT.

The Southampton captain is reportedly unwilling to play in the Championship. With relegation looking more and more likely for the Saints with each passing game, so do his chances of ending up elsewhere for the start of next season.

Newcastle are not the only team who are thought to be interested in snapping up Ward-Prowse, however. Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are both believed to be looking at the player and could jump at the chance to sign him in the summer.

Ward-Prowse would be a fantastic addition to virtually any Premier League club, primarily due to his supernatural set-piece ability. This season, the 28-year-old has scored more direct free kicks than any other player in the league – three in total. Additionally, he has also registered a pair of assists.

He has also scored more direct free kicks than anyone else in the two previous Premier League seasons. In 2020/21 and 2021/22, he scored four free kicks in each season.

As Ward-Prowse does not have a release clause in his contract, it is unclear how much Newcastle will have to pay Southampton to bring him on board – regardless, the fee is not expected to be less than £50 million.