West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse is expected to be on the move in January after being axed from the squad for Monday’s 1-1 draw at Everton, according to talkSPORT.
The London Stadium side will reportedly listen to offers for the England international at the turn of the year, with Ward-Prowse open to a return to his former club Southampton.
The 30-year-old midfielder had started every game this season under Graham Potter before being dropped from the squad by new manager Nuno Espirito Santo for his first game on Monday.
Ward-Prowse is believed to have already been told he ‘has no future’ at the club following the Portuguese tactician’s appointment and is expected to explore his options when the transfer window reopens.
The £144,000-a-week England international, who joined West Ham from Southampton in August 2023, is under contract until the summer of 2027.
James Ward-Prowse Open to Southampton Move
According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Ward-Prowse’s absence from West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Everton was purely based on selection, as Espirito Santo does not see the 30-year-old in his plans going forward.
The Portuguese tactician instead opted for a midfield trio of Mateus Fernandes, Lucas Paqueta and summer signing Soungoutou Magassa, who was given his first start of the season.
GIVEMESPORT sources have also confirmed that Southampton are considering a move to sign Ward-Prowse in the January transfer window after the latest news on his situation with the Hammers.
Ward-Prowse has made 73 appearances for West Ham to date, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists, with his last goal coming on the final day of the 2024/25 season in the 3-1 win at Ipswich Town.
The 11-cap England international was sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest during the first part of last season, where he made 10 appearances under Espirito Santo, including five starts in the Premier League.
West Ham parted ways with Potter on Saturday and confirmed Espirito Santo’s appointment hours later, with the Portuguese manager joining on a three-year deal.
The 51-year-old was dismissed as Forest boss on September 9, just three games into the Premier League season and less than three months after the club handed him a new three-year contract.
Espirito Santo guided Forest to a seventh-place finish last term, with the club securing European football for the first time in three decades.
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