Southampton adamant West Ham United target James Ward-Prowse is going nowhere this summer
It has been reported that Southampton are adamant that James Ward-Prowse is going nowhere this summer and this is good news for West Ham United.
It was revealed that the Hammers [The Sun, 12 May], that David Moyes was tracking the England midfielder.
However, the latest report by The Sun on Thursday [2 June] has suggested that the south coast club are adamant their captain will stay at St Mary’s beyond this summer.
The Irons should take Southampton’s message as a sign to end their pursuit of the 27-year-old.
Ward-Prowse signed a five-year deal with the Saints in the summer of 2021 and it would command a huge fee for Southampton to part ways with their captain.
Furthermore, Ward-Prowse is 27 and won’t provide any sell-on value for West Ham should they choose to move for the free-kick specialist.
He is in the prime of his career and will likely only decline from now.
Moyes would be far better off investing in players that could be assets for the club moving forward.
If the Hammers want to be a successful and consistent top-six club they need to think smart in terms of recruitment and not just aimlessly throw silly money at slightly above average players.
Ward-Prowse wouldn’t be a bad addition at West Ham, but Southampton would try and squeeze every last penny out of Moyes’ budget before giving the England man the green light to move.
It promises to be an intriguing summer for Moyes as he looks to overhaul and rebuild his ageing squad.
In other West Ham news, Guardian journalist says Jesse Lingard to West Ham would be a ‘great move’.