Southampton Look Into Swoop For West Ham Man | OneFootball

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Southampton are trying to re-sign club legend James Ward-Prowse from West Ham United, but nothing has been agreed yet, according to journalist Alex Crook.

The Portsmouth-born midfield talent began his youth football with Saints, joining them when he was only nine.

Ward-Prowse made his debut for the south coast side when he was only 16, and established himself as a key player over the years.

His ability to take top-quality free-kicks made him dangerous, and he was a top performer at Saints in his 12-year spell.

However, when Southampton went down to the Championship in 2023, he finally left them, having played more than 400 games across all competitions.

The Hammers paid £30m to Saints after selling their star midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal for a club-record fee, which stands to this day.

Ward-Prowse, though, did not have the impact that was expected of him, and he has played only 75 times for them, and a large number of them were as a substitute.

The London club loaned him to Nottingham Forest and Burnley in the last two campaigns, but he struggled to get up to speed at either club.

And with one year remaining in his current deal, he could be out of the London Stadium before the summer window shuts.

It has been suggested that Tonda Eckert’s side want him back at St. Mary’s, but nothing has been agreed yet.

He was not part of West Ham’s matchday squad against Southampton in the EFL Cup game, which the Irons won 4-1.

And in the coming days, the 31-year-old central midfielder could be back at his boyhood club, should the Hammers and Saints agree on a deal.

Going back to St. Mary’s is likely to be a tempting option for the former England international, to add to his 107 goal contributions.

Southampton are determined to secure promotion this season following last term’s spygate saga and having the know-how of Ward-Prowse, especially considering Eckert is a young manager, could be a huge boost at St Mary’s.