James Ward-Prowse exit twist emerges at West Ham United as Southampton eye late transfer
Southampton are trying to tempt West Ham United into sanctioning a last-minute loan exit for James Ward-Prowse, according to Give Me Sport.
The outlet reported on its website on Thursday (29 August) that the England international has been told to find a new club as he is not part of Julen Lopetegui’s current plans at the London Stadium.
Southampton don’t have the financial muscle to secure a permanent deal for the midfielder and are therefore only pursuing a loan deal as Russell Martin looks to bolster his ranks ahead of the 30 August deadline.
Reports had suggested that the Saints were keen to secure a permanent deal for Ward-Prowse in the coming days as the Irons looked to recoup the £35million that they spent on him 12 months ago [TEAMtalk, 28 August].
Will James Ward-Prowse exit West Ham amid Southampton transfer rumours?
The Hammers need to clear some space off of their wage bill in the final hours of the transfer window after an incredibly busy summer both in and out of the London Stadium under Lopetegui.
The Irons have bolstered their ranks immensely in the former Real Madrid manager’s first window in charge in East London, but that means that they have several players who have almost found themselves surplus to requirements.
Ward-Prowse may have started the Carabao Cup clash with Bournemouth, but he has clearly fallen down the pecking order throughout the off-season and now seems unlikely to be a regular fixture in the starting XI.
Whether or not the Irons would be willing to accept a loan deal for the England international isn’t yet clear. If they wanted to recoup the £35million fee they spent last year, a temporary exit is unlikely to do that, unless there is a permanent clause included.
Perhaps the attraction of getting another first-team wage off of their books will be tempting enough to force their hand. This could well be one to watch over the next two days.
In other West Ham news, Stoke City are eyeing a last-minute deal for one exit-linked Hammers defender ahead of the 30 August deadline
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