Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse, and his wages wouldn’t be an issue according to the Chronicle.
The 27-year-old currently earns £100,000-a-week with the Saints, which would make him one of the top earners at St James’ Park. The Chronicle believe Newcastle could match that amount, and possibly even offer him a rise.
Newcastle’s current best paid player is Bruno Guimaraes, who apparently earns £120,000-a-week.
The figures Newcastle are paying in wages are going up, which is no surprise given the new investment that has come into the club.
The Magpies are moving for higher profile players, who therefore command a bigger wage package.
However, some players’ demands have proven to be too much. It was recently claimed that Jesse Lingard wanted £200,000-a-week to join Newcastle.
Ward-Prowse wouldn’t command that high a figure, but there is a problem in Dan Ashworth’s bid to sign him.
Southampton want £75million for James Ward-Prowse
While wages might not be a problem, Southampton’s asking price is.
They reportedly want £75million for the set piece extraordinaire. That would make him Newcastle’s record signing by a long way, easily eclipsing the £40million spent on Joelinton in 2019.
In fact, a £75million transfer for JWP would make him the third most expensive English player ever behind Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish.
With an asking price like that, there’s simply no chance of him heading to St James’ Park this summer.
Despite having incredibly rich owners, Newcastle are not a rich club. They need to be careful with what they spend, which is why astute deals for Nick Pope and Matt Targett have been applauded.
There’s absolutely no way that Newcastle can spend that amount of money on Ward-Prowse. He’s a brilliant player, but our resources can and will be put to better use.
He’s a great passer of the ball and a fantastic leader, and his free kicks aren’t bad either. Luckily we’ve already got a set piece expert in Kieran Trippier.
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