Fulham’s midfield was arguably the strongest point of their team last season on their way to a top-half finish following their promotion from the Championship, and it could get even better.
Fulham have made James Ward-Prowse one of their top targets for the summer window, per The Independent.
The England midfielder looks set to leave Southampton following their relegation from the Premier League in 2022/23, and the Saints captain is interested in continuing his Premier League career at Craven Cottage.
Fulham transfer news – James Ward-Prowse
According to Nick Mashiter, the relegated Saints are likely to ask for around £30m for their free-kick specialist midfielder.
Ward-Prowse reportedly believes Marco Silva’s style of football is a good fit for his game as he look to return to England’s top division.
Silva will look to pair him with Joao Palhinha in the Fulham midfield, although the Portuguese midfielder is a transfer target for West Ham given the interest of top 6 teams in securing the services of their captain Declan Rice this summer.
Ward Prowse and Palhinha is the midfield combo to have Fulham firing for Europe
If Fulham did secure the services of the Southampton legend, he would bring with him a wealth of Premier League experience.
The 28-year-old has made 409 top-flight appearances for the Saints, providing 55 goals and 53 assists for the south coast side.
His club form has earned him 11 England caps and the player has scored twice for his country in those appearances.
Fulham’s star midfielder Palhinha was key for the Whites in his debut season in England.
The 27-year-old was signed from Sporting Lisbon last summer for a fee believed to be around £20m. The 6ft2 workhorse averaged a 7.00 match rating in his 35 games for Fulham in 22/23, per Sofascore.
Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Gary Neville was full of praise for Fulham’s midfield man during the season, and was stunned at the value Fulham had achieved through the signing. Speaking on The Overlap, he stated:
“I think Palhinha to be honest with you, he’s absolutely fantastic him.”
Pairing a player so highly rated with the Premier League experience of Southampton’s captain could be the duo that helps Marco Silva and his Fulham side make a strong push for the European qualification spots next season.
A former teammate of Ward-Prowse at Southampton in Charlie Austin believes the England international is a "phenomenal" player.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Austin said "His set-pieces and that are brilliant. He's probably going to beat David Beckham's record but, the nuts and bolts of his game, running hard, winning the ball back, and leading his team are phenomenal.
"He's come throught the academy at Southampton and has been there for so many years. I just think that it hasn't been the right opportunity.
"I think now is the time for him to move.”
Fulham made some stellar signings last summer, including midfielder Andreas Pereira and centre-back Issa Diop. Both players featured regularly for the Whites, with the Brazilian playmaker notching four goals and six assists in his 33 Premier League games and the French centre-back scoring once in his 25 league games.
Despite their success, Palhinha was the signing of the summer.
If the club do get the England maestro from Southampton, he will surely be their best piece of business since signing their workhouse midfielder from Sporting.
This situation is likely to develop quickly, and could all hinge on who West Ham grabs as their Declan Rice replacement, but a Ward-Prowse and Palhinha combination in Fulham’s midfield would be a major coup heading into the new season