Sky Sports presenters clash over ‘perfect’ James Ward-Prowse and Declan Rice as best summer signing
Sky Sports presenters Sam Obaseki and Henry Hill have clashed over who the best Premier League summer signing has been, with the pair split between James Ward-Prowse and former West Ham man Declan Rice.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (12 October), Hill claimed that James Ward-Prowse had been “perfect” for the Hammers with his contributions to set pieces and his goals, while Obaseki praised Rice for his ability to take Arsenal to the next level and challenge for the title once again.
Both players have made excellent starts to life at their new clubs, with Ward-Prowse earning two goals and six assists in all competitions.
Hill said: “I think James Ward-Prowse has gone into that West Ham side and been excellent. He’s got more assists than any Englishman in Europe this year.
“I think he’s just so perfect for the style of play that they utilise. His corners, his crosses for the big guys in the box, a threat from set-pieces. He’s been great and he’s been scoring some goals as well. I can’t see why you can overlook James Ward-Prowse.”
Obaseki responded: “I’m not overlooking him I’m talking about the fact that Arsenal went from challenging for the title to challenging this season. You have to bring in those players that can propel you.”
Impact
Both Rice and Ward-Prowse have earned their fair share of praise this season, and deservedly so. Rice’s huge fee to depart West Ham could have backfired, but the Englishman is thriving at the Emirates.
His former team used the money from his sale to buy the free-kick specialist, among others. Both parties are on the up, but Ward-Prowse’s direct impact has been more noticeable.
His huge tally of assists shows he took no time settling into the club while proving crucial in the Hammers’ seventh-place spot in the Premier League.
Rice has been good at Arsenal too, but when an exceptional player joins an exceptional team, they can often blend right in rather than stand out. That being said, his crucial game-winning goal against Manchester United is probably the highlight of his early Gunners career.
Time will tell who becomes the most impactful signing across the whole season and both have made very impressive starts, but Ward-Prowse’s ability to win crucial points for the Hammers could see him edge it.
In other West Ham news, Ben Foster has dropped a “silver lining” verdict on James Ward-Prowse’s England omission.