Southampton has turned down a £25 million offer from West Ham for their captain, James Ward-Prowse, as they seek closer to £40 million for the talented set-piece specialist. Additionally, they are holding out for £50 million from Liverpool for midfielder Romeo Lavia.
Jason Wilcox, Saints’ director of football, confirmed the rejection of West Ham’s bid and stated that a higher sum will be necessary for the Hammers to secure Ward-Prowse. He emphasized that Southampton is not in a hurry to sell and will consider offers carefully.
Ward-Prowse has been a loyal player at St Mary’s since making his debut in 2011 at the age of 16. During his career, he has appeared in 409 games for Southampton, scoring an impressive 55 goals, including 17 free-kicks in the Premier League.
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The 28-year-old’s prowess over dead balls is evident, as he is only one goal away from David Beckham’s record of 18 Premier League free-kicks.
With a substantial sum of £105 million secured from Arsenal for Declan Rice, West Ham has the funds to invest in a replacement. However, their attempts to find a suitable successor have thus far been met with disappointment.
As the transfer window progresses, West Ham will need to reassess their options and potentially increase their bid to meet Southampton’s demands for James Ward-Prowse.
