Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton does not think new West Ham signing James Ward-Prowse was David Moyes’ first choice.
West Ham recently bought James Ward-Prowse from Southampton in a £30m deal, but Sutton has some concerns about his arrival at the London Stadium.
Speaking on It’s All Coming Up, the ex-Blackburn Rovers forward said: “I don’t think that he would’ve been David Moyes’ first choice. We know how good he is from set plays and West Ham have great height in their team.
“He’ll slot alongside [Tomas] Soucek in midfield. I don’t think it’s a midfield that has great legs. I just worry about him if he plays alongside Soucek, whether West Ham have the legs in the middle of the park.”
Ward-Prowse is not the only midfielder West Ham have signed this summer, with the Hammers also bringing in Edson Alvarez from Ajax.
James Ward-Prowse will bring a lot to West Ham
Whether Ward-Prowse was one of Moyes’ first-choice targets or not, the 28-year-old will bring a lot to this West Ham side.
As Sutton already mentioned, he is deadly from set-pieces, scoring 17 free-kicks in the Premier League.
The English top flight is, of course, also a division that Ward-Prowse has been playing in for years, so he brings experience to the table as well.
All in all, for £30m, it looks like a good deal. It will now be interesting to see if Ward-Prowse and Alvarez can help fill the void Declan Rice has left following his move to Arsenal.
The England international, who captained the Hammers last season, was such an influential figure for his former side.
He is gone now, though, so Moyes will be looking to the likes of Ward-Prowse and Alvarez to make an impact in midfield.
If they can, then perhaps West Ham will have a much better Premier League campaign this time around after finishing just six points above the relegation zone last season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
