Southampton have labelled James Ward-Prowse not for sale amid interest from Aston Villa in their captain.
Ambitious Villa are plotting a move for England midfielder Ward-Prowse as a follow-up to their club-record swoop for Norwich's Argentine midfielder Emi Buendia.
Villa have signalled their intent in the transfer market by outbidding Arsenal and are on the verge of completing the capture of Buendia in a deal worth around £35m.
A move for set-piece specialist Ward-Prowse would be similarly bold and though Villa plan to test their rivals' resolve in the next week, St Mary's chiefs have no intention of letting their 26-year-old skipper leave.