Southampton have not had many big exits this summer, but they will lose their captain in the coming days.
Southampton may lose James Ward-Prowse after West Ham agrees to a fee.
James Ward-Prowse made his Championship debut for Southampton against Sheffield Wednesday, and it appears that it will be his only game in the second division, with West Ham allegedly accepting a deal for his services.
The Saints’ long-serving star made his debut for the club at the age of 16 in 2011, and has since gone on to make over 400 appearances for the club he joined as an eight-year-old, missing just two Premier League games in the preceding four seasons.
Despite recording an assist in the first game of the season in South Yorkshire, West Ham’s interest in Ward-Prowse has grown, especially given that Declan Rice has left for Arsenal for £105 million and the Irons are in desperate need of replacements. West Ham agree fee with Southampton for James Ward-Prowse
And, according to various sources including The Athletic, it appears that Ward-Prowse will finish his Championship career with just one sole appearance after West Ham agreed a fee in the region of £30million for his services. West Ham agree fee with Southampton for James Ward-Prowse
What do the reports state?
The first word that Ward-Prowse was on his way to the London Stadium came from Jacob Steinberg, who claimed that the two teams had finally reached an agreement after weeks of negotiations.
And, according to The Athletic, the Irons will pay Southampton about £30 million for the 28-year-old, who is likely to sign a four-year contract.
West Ham and Ward-Prowse are expected to be ‘keen to complete the move as soon as possible,’ and with the potential signings of Harry Maguire and Edson Alvarez from Manchester United and Ajax, respectively, the Irons are in the rebuilding stage after losing Rice for a British record fee.
Ward-Prowse was at the top of David Moyes’ wish list, according to Ben Jacobs, however the amount to bring him to the capital was at the ‘high end’ of what West Ham were anticipated to pay. Southampton had previously been believed to be willing to part with £40 million, but with little interest in his services, the Saints have taken a fee now to avoid losing him on the cheap in the coming years.
Where does the move leave Southampton?
With Liverpool interested in signing talented Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia, Southampton will have to pay around £80 million for their midfield combo.
Add in the £32 million from Tino Livramento’s move to Newcastle earlier this week, and the Saints will have earned more than £110 million if Lavia and Ward-Prowse leave the club.
Russell Martin’s side still have Joe Aribo, Will Smallbone, Stuart Armstrong, Shea Charles and Carlos Alcaraz in their midfield ranks, which could be more than enough to see them secure promotion to the top-flight after one year in the second-tier – but an increased transfer kitty means that the Saints could well reinvest in other key areas ahead of the deadline slamming shut.
