The rumour mill is turning and the media is being briefed that Southampton have received a bid from a Premier League club for their captain James Ward Prowse, but in truth it is one that will be turned down with a derisory snort.
I could pick a number of sources who are claiming that West Ham United have finally actually contacted Saints and laid some money on the table, the72.co.uk are one of those picking up the story to allege that the Hammers have slapped £25 million on the table as their opening offer.
They also say that both West Ham and Fulham who have also been linked seem unwilling to match Southampton's £40 million valuation of the player, the Cottagers have stopped well short with £20 million their top price, but it seems the East London Irons are starting to get serious.
I would surmise that by this stage West Ham have been speaking to JWP's agent and feel that they can get the player on personal terms and that it is now down to whether Saints will budge on their asking price.
A player plus cash deal has already been mooted, former Swansea City player Flynn Downes has been touted as moving to St Mary's, but that is said to be a non starter, conflicting stories have emerged with some claiming that Southampton are not interested in the player and others that Downes himself does not want to move and would prefer to stay in East London and fight for his place in the Premier League.
Former Saints hero Danny Ings has also been linked, but the issue here could not just be that the player would have to return to his home City with his tail between his legs and a section of the support not exactly behind him, but the reason he left in the first place, money !
It is fair to assume that Ings did not leave Aston Villa for less than the mooted £120k a week that attracted him to Villa Park two years ago and with two years left on his contract at the London Stadium, that is going to be a problem for the Hammers getting rid of a player who they now see as surplus to requirements after only 7 months at the club.
Ideally they would like to get back a fair chunk of their £12 million outlay, but they will find little interest from the top half of the Premier League who will also baulk at his wage demands.
That means that the best chance of Ings leaving is probably on a loan deal where the club he signs for cover his wages for the year, that in itself will cost the best part of £3 million, so will not be cheap, also with the player himself having turned 31 a few days ago, age is not on his side.
West Ham feel that there is a deal to be done with Southampton for James Ward Prowse, but with £10 million in their bank from the sale of Declan Rice, selling clubs will not be in the mood to let their players go cheaply.
I would suggest that West Ham United is a club that James Ward Prowse would be keen to join, they are in the Europa League and offer him a genuine chance of a shot at glory in that competition, they are perhaps the only club he would consider joining, given that it is unlikely one of the Big Seven will come calling.
But West Ham will have to pay the asking price or at least somewhere near it, they have the money, we have the player, the ball is in their court, the £25 million offer is a shot across the bows, but as we know with Newcastle's pursuit of Tino Livramento, Saints are in no mood to let players go cheaply.