James Ward-Prowse January exit on the cards at West Ham, Nuno Espirito Santo already has replacement lined up
James Ward-Prowse looks destined for a West Ham winter exit.
Ward-Prowse was left out of the West Ham squad against Everton as Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of his first match as Hammers boss.
West Ham drew 1-1 against Everton, with the midfield trio of Mateus Fernandes, Soungoutou Magassa, and Lucas Paqueta thriving on Merseyside.
This could spell bad news for Ward-Prowse, who could struggle under Nuno at West Ham in the coming weeks and months.
A Ward-Prowse sale could now be on the cards in January, with an alternative primed and ready to go at the London Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo lines up James Ward-Prowse exit
Nuno has done what Graham Potter should have with Ward-Prowse by leaving him out of his squad after such a poor run of form.
The Englishman’s lack of mobility alongside someone like Guido Rodriguez has left the Irons susceptible to conceding plenty of goals in the opening five games of the season.
The new head coach clearly identified this as an issue and has taken swift action to address it, aiming to turn the tide in East London.
This could result in the ex-Southampton man making a move elsewhere in January, freeing up space in the squad for someone else to thrive.
Former West Ham midfielder Martin Allen believes this is where Freddie Potts could come in, to become a regular under Nuno moving forward.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Allen said: “I think a January move will be on the cards [for Ward-Prowse].
“He seems to be a good person with a good attitude, but his mobility has been lacking.
“That’s one of the areas that has cost West Ham dearly and has made them concede a lot of goals.
“I was surprised that Ward-Prowse has been playing ahead of Freddie Potts, but he is young and has a good career ahead of him.
“He will be someone that Nuno will be looking to develop and bring on like he did against Everton.“
Freddie Potts deserves a chance at West Ham
It seems clear that there is no future at the London Stadium for Ward-Prowse.
The 30-year-old’s downfall could be Potts’ gain after what has been a frustrating season to date.
Potter had a lack of trust in his talents, but under Nuno, the Englishman has already made an appearance and could become more of a regular moving forward.
After what was a stellar season on loan at Portsmouth, this is no more than the 22-year-old deserves.
It will be interesting to see how Potts can thrive in claret and blue moving forward and what that means for Ward-Prowse in E20.
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