Southampton are ready to move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney this summer, according to ESPN's live blog (Tuesday, 09:27am).

What's the latest news on Thomas Delaney?

Delaney has just one year left on his contract at Dortmund, signalling that this summer could be a good time for the club to cash in on him rather than allowing him to leave for free in 2022.

The 29-year-old is believed to be valued at around €10m (£8.6m) by the German side, and Southampton are keen on acquiring his services in the next transfer window.

What are Delaney's stats this season?

The Danish international has struggled for game time this year, having only made 13 starts in the Bundesliga. He has made 19 appearances in total, registering one goal and one assist in those matches.

When he has played, Delaney had made his mark in the middle of the park, averaging 1.9 successful tackles per game (via WhoScored). This sees him top the rankings at Dortmund in this particular category.

He is also effective in the air, winning 1.6 aerial duels per match. Only two Southampton players, Jannik Vestergaard (3.4) and Jan Bednarek (2.7) have bettered this figure for the Saints.

Could Delaney have moved to the Premier League before?

There has certainly been interest in him from England's top division.

Back in January 2017, Everton tried to sign Delaney for £8m when he was playing for Werder Bremen. Their bid was rejected, and Delaney went on to move to Dortmund the following year.

Over four years later, Delaney could now get his opportunity to shine in the Premier League, and it seems that Southampton could land their man for a similar fee to the one that Everton had turned down.

Is he the perfect partner for James Ward-Prowse?

According to WhoScored, Ward-Prowse has been Southampton's best player this season based on his game ratings, and his statistics have been pretty spectacular.

The 26-year-old has scored eight goals and produced seven assists in the top-flight, and has not missed a minute of action across the whole season. He cannot do it all on his own, though.

In fairness, Oriol Romeu did a solid job alongside him for the first part of the campaign, but he has been out for several months now with a long-term injury. Southampton need someone to come in and complement Ward-Prowse's skill set, and Delaney looks to be perfect for the job.

While Ward-Prowse is able to dictate the tempo of the game with his passing ability, and is one of the finest set-piece specialists in the league, he could do with a ball-winning midfielder next to him who can stay fit.

Delaney is able to break up play effectively, and is a formidable presence in the air, meaning that he would be able to do the dirty work, which would then allow Ward-Prowse to get on the ball and affect games higher up the pitch. 

With 52 international caps to his name and 30 Champions League appearances behind him, Delaney would also bring a wealth of experience to the squad, and could help Ward-Prowse drive Ralph Hasenhuttl's men forwards in 2021/22.