West Ham United to table ‘low-ball’ transfer bid for James Ward-Prowse as new ‘minimum’ Southampton asking price emerges
Southampton are expecting West Ham to “low-ball” them with their incoming bid for captain James Ward-Prowse but the £40million asking price “might well” drop, Football League World reports.
With the Hammers’ own skipper on his way to the Emirates imminently the club are expected to immediately offer some of the Declan Rice money to the Saints as they look to sign replacements.
But with the Irons thought to want to pay closer to £20m for Ward-Prowse, 28, there is going to need to be some negotiating before a deal can be struck, and while the fee is likely to come down it isn’t expected to reduce far.
Football League World report: “It’s Football League World’s understanding that, whilst Southampton are prepared to play hardball over the fee they’ve placed on Ward-Prowse, they might well budge on £40m.
“However, sources indicate that they will still be looking for a minimum of £35m for the 11-cap England international.”
Opposite side of the table
It feels like West Ham are ultimately going to have to cough up to land the free-kick specialist in light of the widely publicised developments between them and Arsenal over Rice.
The fact that Southampton have been relegated is a mitigating factor but otherwise it is a very similar situation, and after the Irons held out for north of £100m for their captain it is difficult to see the south-coast side doing much different to let their own leave.
Ward-Prowse is older than Rice and not quite in the same league quality-wise, but since the Hammers clearly see him as good enough to be part of the succession plan for the Arsenal-bound star that argument won’t carry a huge amount of weight.
David Moyes has will have various business that he wants to do this summer, and £35m remains a significant amount of money even in today’s inflated market.
But it doesn’t seem extortionate for a seasoned Premier League player who should still be in his prime for at least a couple of years, so the chances are the Irons will have to up their offer some way, and if not meet in the middle somewhere close.
The Scot needs multiple midfielders in this summer, and as Denis Zakaria looks to be close for as little as £8m it may be sensible to put savings made on the Swiss international towards bringing in the Englishman if he is a prime target.
In other West Ham news, the Irons can now snap up a Manchester City player for just £15m but there is rival interest.