Kevin Nolan makes West Ham United transfer admission, surprised at decision this summer
Kevin Nolan has admitted he was “very surprised” that West Ham United allowed James Ward-Prowse to leave this summer.
David Moyes brought the 29-year-old to East London last season from Southampton, but after one season he was deemed surplus to requirements by Julen Lopetegui and moved to Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal last month.
Nolan discussed the midfielder on the Football Daily podcast [16 September] and feels Lopetegui has made a mistake in allowing him to leave.
He said: “I must admit I’m very surprised that West Ham let him go. I get that Julen wants to bring in his own players but James Ward-Prowse is one of those players who never does anything wrong.
“He makes the correct decision and just gets the game. His set-pieces are phenomenal.”
West Ham will second-guess James Ward-Prowse decision
It has been far from the ideal start for Lopetegui at West Ham with only one win from the opening four Premier League matches.
After a summer of frivolous spending overseen by Tim Steidten, the expectation for the Hammers will be to qualify for Europe this season and at the moment, the side are way off the pace with their rivals.
Losses against Aston Villa and Manchester City are somewhat understandable. However, there is no more valuable weapon to have in the arsenal than a brilliant set-piece taker when facing superior opposition, and Lopetegui has let one of the best in England walk out the door.
Ward-Prowse will feel mistreated with the decision and rightfully so. Last season he registered seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League alone.
He was one of the better performers across the course of 2023-24, being overshadowed by the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen who took all the plaudits.
Following reports that the Hammers targeted a move for Adrien Rabiot [L’Equipe] after signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler on loan, losing a player of Ward-Prowse’s quality and planning to replace him with two signings makes no sense.
Given the aerial prowess of his new-found Nottingham Forest teammates, there is the likelihood that he will match or even exceed his goal contributions this season. After a concerning start to the campaign, it is safe to say that West Ham got it wrong with Ward-Prowse.
In other West Ham news, a Jarrod Bowen statue is mooted as new footage emerges.
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