West Ham are set to revive their interest in Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, according to reports in the UK.
The 28-year-old, who has been capped 11 times by England, could be allowed to leave the Saints this summer if the south coast club are relegated from the Premier League.
Newcastle, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea have been suggested as other potential destinations so competition for Ward-Prowse could be fierce, and fans on Twitter are divided on whether the Hammers should devote resources to signing the player:
This would be an amazing midfield signing for us.
— Jack Buck (@jackbuck123) May 4, 2023
Great player of course but I think we can spend our money better
— Matthew Drake (@MatthewD3112) May 4, 2023
Need a tempo setter and the base of the midfield, especially if Dec is gone
— WayneSam (@WayneSam19) May 4, 2023
Lets stay up before we start picking new players.
— DeadTired (@Tired16604834) May 4, 2023
That would be a great signing, very underrated player.
# COYI 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Ed Hunter 🛂 Arnhem – Farnham – Fleet and Crete (@SouthparkNorth) May 4, 2023
Need to stay up 1st before we think about transfers
— Adam (@IamChadbacca) May 4, 2023
25m tops if Saints gets relegated
— Random 77 (@77azulgrana_) May 4, 2023
Doesn’t do it for me. Good at set pieces but not much else ⚒️
— Tyrone Hammer (@TyroneHammers) May 4, 2023
It has been claimed that Ward-Prowse’s asking price could be as high as £50m but, if Southampton do go down, it would be surprising if they hold out for that much.
Of course, with so many teams interested, it could lead to a bidding war, and you do wonder whether West Ham actually need a midfielder like Ward-Prowse, when other areas of the pitch are also in need of strengthening.