West Ham could finally get rid of Ward-Prowse as January bid lined up
James Ward-Prowse could soon be on his way out of West Ham.
The Englishman has come under pressure for a string of poor performances, especially while Graham Potter continues to select him.
This saw Potter slammed as Ward-Prowse started against Crystal Palace, before leaving him on the London Stadium pitch for the full 90.
It is fair to say that this was unwise as West Ham fell to defeat at the hands of Palace, in yet another frustrating home performance.
Fans want to see more of summer signing from Southampton, Mateus Fernandes, and they could be set to get that wish with Ward-Prowse potentially able to leave in January.
Manuel Locatelli could replace James Ward-Prowse
West Ham opted to keep Ward-Prowse despite Tyler Morton links, something which already looks like a sizable error from David Sullivan and Co.
There were a number of midfielders targeted in the summer, which could have improved the Hammers massively for the campaign.
As a result, Potter may see the most recent window as a regret, especially while his future in East London hangs in the balance.
With that being said, this could see West Ham make a January swoop for previous target Manuel Locatelli as Juventus are now open to offers.
The 27-year-old is “no longer considered untouchable” by the Old Lady, with the claret and blue outfit now preparing a January offer.
If the Italy international were to come in, there is no doubt that he would demand regular minutes, something which could spell bad news for Ward-Prowse.
West Ham must let James Ward-Prowse go
There is no shortage of annoyance surrounding the ex-Southampton man after what has been a poor spell since moving to East London.
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | James Ward-Prowse |
| Minutes played | 1440 |
| Goal involvements | 3 |
| Successful dribbles | 2 |
| Duel win rate (%) | 47.9 |
| Dribbled past | 12 |
The 30-year-old came with a pedigree of a box-to-box midfielder who was arguably the best free-kick taker in world football.
Despite this, there has been very little positivity to speak of surrounding the former England international, especially since his early return from his Nottingham Forest loan.
As a result, a clean break could prove to be the best-case scenario for all parties, especially if the Hammers can get hold of Locatelli from Juventus in January.
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