The Southampton signing who would be even more exciting than James Ward-Prowse
All of a sudden, Southampton have sparked into life in the chaotic summer transfer window.
Indeed, it feels like a very long time ago now since Lewis Dobbin was first unveiled as a flashy £9m recruit, but the cash is beginning to spent again on some much-needed recruits.
Keven Schlotterbeck has been officially confirmed as one new body at the back for Tonda Eckert's men, who have shown clear fragilities recently in defence in defeats to Watford and West Ham United, with the 29-year-old arriving with plenty of Bundesliga experience, having featured regularly for Augsburg.
Next up, it looks as if James Ward-Prowse will be dramatically returning to St. Mary's, with the free-kick king a modern day great on the South Coast.
Adding him into the midfield ranks, which needs some reinforcements, feels like a no-brainer move, with the Saints masses surely excited to see the silky 31-year-old back in action in Southampton red and white.
Ward-Prowse's return to Southampton
Ward-Prowse was nowhere to be seen during West Ham's recent 4-1 win in the EFL Cup against Southampton, with Nuno Espirito Santo remaining tight-lipped on his future at the London Stadium.
Now, it's clear that there must have been this possible reunion rumbling in the background, with the midfield veteran set to rejoin the St. Mary's ranks for a very low £800k fee, after struggling to fit in at the Hammers.
If Eckert can get Ward-Prowse back to his confident best, he will be an absolute steal at that amount, with his ability to curl home a sumptuous free-kick a very dangerous weapon for the German to possess in nail-biting matches in a promotion run-in.
Indeed, from his 410 matches on the South Coast previously, the 11-time England international helped himself to 55 goals and 52 assists, with the idea he could be lining up alongside Cyle Larin shortly, who will be loving the sound of having such an incisive passer of the ball near him, a tantalising prospect for Southampton supporters.
His weighty Saints goal tally also means Eckert's midfield will be full of even more attack-minded faces, with Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza bagging 18 goals between them last season in the challenging Championship.
There is another signing who is even more exciting on paper, though, away from treading down the nostalgic path of memory lane with Ward-Prowse...
Why this other signing is even more exciting
While Ward-Prowse returning is a very exciting thought, just due to his legendary status alone, the worry will be that he could taint his legacy if he returns, and shows that he is no longer a spring chicken.
He has only played 48 times across the last three seasons for the likes of the Hammers, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest, scoring just one goal along the way. This is hardly the 31-year-old in his St. Mary's prime.
Whereas, landing Henry Falchener would see Eckert and Co. snap up a centre-back very much in his prime, with the Viking colossus noted as being worth £8m, as per a bid from the Championship promotion chasers.
The Viking number 23 has just helped his team qualify for the Champions League, away from Ward-Prowse failing to find consistent gametime, with an assist even coming his way during their second leg triumph over Dinamo Zagreb, as Morten Jensen's men won 3-1.
If Southampton were to win a Champions League bound centre-back, it would certainly be a more eye-catching coup than Ward-Prowse returning for a slim £800k.
Falchener's ability to pick out a pass with ease, but also be strong aerially, with an 89% pass accuracy average, coupled with a mightily impressive 6.7 duels won per Eliteseren contest this campaign, makes him an ideal successor to Taylor Harwood-Bellis, if he still ends up leaving.
On the other hand, Ward-Prowse's overall lack of match sharpness might mean he doesn't instantly enter Eckert's starting XI, with Southampton remaining busy right up until September's sharp deadline, as deals for both the 31-year-old and the Norwegian defender are worked on.
