West Ham United want 50% James Ward-Prowse discount amid Southampton exit development
West Ham would be looking for a 50 per cent discount to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to the Daily Mail.
Simon Jones wrote on the Mail Online that the Saints, relegated from the Premier League last season, are closing in on the £11million signing of Shea Charles from Manchester City.
The knock-on effect of that deal is that bids are set to come in for in-demand Southampton pair Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia, who have attracted interest but no formal offers as yet.
West Ham are named among the suitors for Ward-Prowse, who Southampton reportedly value at £40m.
However, the Mail reports that suitors for Ward-Prowse, with Fulham also said to be interested, are hoping to strike a deal at around half of that figure.
£40m too much
West Ham are in a tricky spot in some ways. The £105m sale of captain Declan Rice to Arsenal is set to be ratified, meaning there should be funds in place to bring in new faces.
The problem is, that deal means clubs could put a premium on any business they do with West Ham this summer, full in the knowledge they have a significant windfall from Rice’s sale.
The Hammers have been linked with plenty of midfielders, but the ones that seem to carry most weight so far are Ward-Prowse and Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria.
Ward-Prowse would be an excellent addition, bringing with him international experience and that dangerous set-piece prowess.
However, it is difficult to agree with Southampton’s valuation of Ward-Prowse at £40m. West Ham may struggle to get that knocked down to £20m, but a compromise feels there to be reached. For both parties, it feels like a deal worth making.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have named their price for Michail Antonio as Galatasaray chiefs jet in for talks.