Ward-Prowse may be set for West Ham return, Nottm Forest loan faces termination
James Ward-Prowse may be set for a January return to West Ham with his loan at Nottingham Forest facing termination, according to West Ham Football.
The report (31 December) claims that the midfielder could be recalled to the London Stadium from a season-long loan at the City Ground.
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui is under severe pressure and needs to add fresh impetus to his side's engine room if he is to save his job.
The 30-year-old could provide valuable experience and his set-piece deliveries could be very profitable if he returns.
Ward-Prowse return could save West Ham season
The former Southampton man was signed in August 2023 and contributed with seven goals and seven assists in his first season in East London.
Despite that relatively impressive return, supporters and seemingly Lopetegui were not convinced of his abilities and he was sent on loan for this season after Edson Alvarez and Carlos Soler joined the club.
He has failed to get regular game time at Forest as they have climbed to second in the Premier League table, featuring just eight times in the Premier League and registering zero goal contributions.
The highlight of his loan spell was a ridiculous red card against Chelsea for stopping an attack by jumping on the ball with his hands.
Lopetegui needs some kind of advantage to salvage his spell in the dugout and Ward-Prowse's set-piece expertise could be exactly what he requires.
If that is deemed to not be the answer then the Hammers need to make a significant addition in the transfer market as their engine room is currently lacking.
In other West Ham news, Richard Keys has slammed a Hammers chief for a managerial decision after the 5-0 loss to Liverpool.