West Ham United ‘would be a great’ move for James Ward-Prowse as the Southampton captain weighs up a potential return to the Premier League.
What approach will West Ham take as they plan for life without Declan Rice at the London Stadium?
Do they splash out the majority of Rice’s £100 million fee on a marquee addition? Or do they instead look to bring in a number of players as part of a wider overhaul, even if comparisons will be drawn with Liverpool post-Luis Suarez and Tottenham Hotspur post-Gareth Bale.
Not so much ‘selling Elvis to buy The Beatles’ – as former Spurs forward Garth Crooks famously claimed – but ‘selling Elvis to buy a Nickleback tribute act’.
According to The Telegraph, West Ham are hoping to succeed where Spurs and Liverpool failed; planning to use that Rice fee on bringing up to three new signings to the capital.
James Ward-Prowse could help West Ham replace Declan Rice
At a rumoured £50 million, James Ward-Prowse would eat up half of the Rice windfall; Southampton refusing to let their skipper go on the cheap even after suffering relegation from the Premier League in May.
Former England international Danny Murphy, however, a move to the Hammers could still be an excellent one for all parties, with a season in the Championship potentially ruining Ward-Prowse’s hopes of featuring under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024.
“I think West Ham would be great (for him),” Murphy tells talkSPORT (5 July, 12pm).
The one-time Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder does, however, have doubts about whether or not Ward-Prowse would be willing to demand a move away from the South Coast; wary – perhaps – of burning the bridges at his boyhood club.
“James Ward-Prowse doesn’t seem like the type (to force an exit),” Murphy adds. “He’s been there a long time. His family are settled. He might want to stay!”
New Saints boss Russell Martin certainly hopes that is the case.
Martin admitted on Tuesday that he is hopeful of retaining Ward-Prowse as Southampton look to bounce back from relegation at the first time of asking. Tino Livramento and Romeo Lavia are also in demand.
West Ham, meanwhile, are also holding talks with Juventus today for £17m Denis Zakaria.
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