James Ward-Prowse to miss Southampton v Norwich after West Ham transfer update
West Ham target James Ward-Prowse will not feature for Southampton against Norwich on Saturday 12 August, according to Sky Sports News.
The broadcaster reported online (9 August) that the midfielder is set to miss his side’s Championship fixture after the Saints and Hammers reached an agreement in principle over his transfer.
The Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg also posted on Twitter that the “deal is done” as the 28-year-old closes in on a long-awaited move to the London Stadium.
David Ornstein of the Athletic has previously reported via Twitter (9 August) that a fee in the region of £30million has been agreed for Ward-Prowse, with the midfielder expected to sign a four-year contract.
Imminent
Various reports have suggested that Ward-Prowse’s move to West Ham is very close and the update that he will not play against Norwich on Saturday 12 August suggests that the deal is essentially complete, with just minor formalities left to iron out.
If there were still question marks surrounding the potential transfer then he would likely be playing for the Saints right until after his move was sealed, and the fact that he isn’t playing on Saturday suggests it already is.
His desire to still feature for Southampton until the very end shows supporters at the London Stadium the kind of dedicated and committed player they are signing, which will only increase excitement around the arrival. He will likely need some time to adapt to his new surroundings after spending his entire career on the South Coast and fans will to get behind him.
It seems, after a frustrating window thus far, a flurry of activity is happening all at once.
In other West Ham news, the club want to sign a player who has turned down a move to their Premier League rivals.