Southampton could lose the services of midfielder and club captain James Ward-Prowse if they suffer relegation from the Premier League this season, journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested to GiveMeSport.

The Saints currently sit bottom of the league and are still on the hunt for a new manager to guide them to safety.

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After last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at home to ten-man Wolves, Southampton owners Sport Republic had seen enough and decided to relieve Nathan Jones of his duties as the club’s head coach, in what was the side's second sacking of the season after the parting of the ways with Ralph Hasenhuttl back in November.

Following Jones’ sacking, it looked as if the Saints were set to swiftly appoint former Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch as the Welshman’s replacement, but a move for the American manager broke down after differences on the length of contract and the vision for the club.

However, the situation looks brighter one week later after a goal from Ward-Prowse helped Southampton to a shock 1-0 victory at Chelsea, meaning the side are now just three points off safety, though they still remain bottom of the Premier League.

But O’Rourke believes that if the club do drop into the Championship, it’s inevitable that players of the calibre of Ward-Prowse could depart St. Mary’s next season.

What has O’Rourke said about Southampton and Ward-Prowse?

“Southampton fans won't want to hear it, but I think if they do go down it's going to be pretty inevitable that Ward-Prowse could be among several players that leave St. Mary's.”

Would Ward-Prowse be a loss for Southampton?

Ward-Prowse’s departure would likely be a devastating loss for the Southampton faithful, with the 28-year-old now into his 11th consecutive season at St. Mary’s, having come through the club’s youth system.

Despite the side's league position this season, the 11-cap England international has been a reliable performer for the Saints, having hit the back of the net eight times whilst providing two assists in 29 appearances.

An average WhoScored rating of 7.00 for his displays in the top-flight this campaign ranks him as the south coast outfit’s best-performing-player, indicating that the side’s chances of survival could well hinge on how the £100,000 per week earner performs under the club’s new manager.

There is no doubt that Ward-Prowse may feel that he needs to be playing in the Premier League during his prime years, especially if he wants a chance of featuring in Gareth Southgate’s England squad regularly, which could mean that relegation may signal the end of his memorable tenure with Southampton.

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