West Ham United snubbed over Flynn Downes in transfer update on £40m Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse
West Ham have failed in their attempt to sweeten the deal for James Ward-Prowse as Southampton don’t want Flynn Downes on loan in return, the Daily Mail reports.
David Moyes was prepared to allow the former Swansea midfielder, 24, head to the Championship side as he pursues the Saints captain as a key part of his rebuild following the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
Southampton are reportedly “keen” on Downes as they are now managed by his former Swans boss Russell Martin, with Moyes only ever seeming lukewarm despite signing him last summer, but want straight cash to sell Ward-Prowse, 28.
The Irons have a long list of midfield targets this summer, but while the Saints want £40million to sell he is only valued at £25m by West Ham.
And the two Englishman will not be heading in separate directions in order to keep the fee down, at least not as part of the same transaction.
Frustration
It seems like West Ham are going to need to get north of £30m as a minimum if they want to land Ward-Prowse, and they need to get on with it in terms of restocking the midfield.
Everyone knows they’ve negotiated £100m guaranteed out of Arsenal for Rice and are scheduled to get it in relatively short time.
So that is no doubt making incoming negotiations harder as every selling club will think they deserve a large chunk of the cash.
It will only stretch so far though, and the current tactic of apparently offering smaller amounts out far and wide to a huge list of replacement options, without making a huge amount of progress, doesn’t appear to be working.
With Ward-Prowse joined by the likes of Denis Zakaria, Joao Palhinha, Edson Alvarez, Youssouf Fofana, Scott McTominay and Kalvin Phillips all named as targets [Mail, 18 July] and now Philip Billing emerging as an option, it has the look of a scattergun approach.
The delays at the Emirates in completing the Rice sale obviously haven’t helped but surely now Moyes needs to choose his top two or three targets and the club go as far as they are willing for them, then move on if unsuccessful.
There is still a few weeks left before the season starts but the manager had to contend with players coming in late last season and it didn’t turn out well so time is of the essence.
In other West Ham news, an international trophy-winning captain is wanted at the London Stadium.