Journalist’s Perspective: West Ham May Face Transfer Loss on £30m Signing
Dan Bardell Predicts West Ham Will Suffer a Loss on James Ward-Prowse if Sold Before August 30 Deadline
West Ham United signed the 29-year-old James Ward-Prowse for £30 million last summer, but he now seems poised for a quick exit.
Reports from talkSPORT on August 27 indicate that Ward-Prowse’s representatives have been discussing a potential transfer with other Premier League clubs.
Sky Sports and talkSPORT journalist Bardell suggests that West Ham may not make a profit on the former England international before the transfer window closes.
In an exclusive interview with West Ham Zone, Bardell stated: “I suspect they’ll end up selling him at a loss.
Lopetegui clearly doesn’t see him as a fit. West Ham has been active in the transfer market, trying to bring in a midfielder, and it seems they’ll need to sell one to facilitate this.
While there were expectations that Soucek might leave, Ward-Prowse appears to be a more viable sellable asset.”
Bardell also noted that Ward-Prowse could be a valuable addition to Nottingham Forest and that Southampton fans might welcome his return.
Ward-Prowse has struggled to integrate into West Ham’s midfield, where more physical players like Soucek and Edson Alvarez are preferred.
With Lucas Paqueta often starting ahead of the base midfielders, opportunities for Ward-Prowse to shine have been limited.
His potential departure makes sense if Carlos Soler were to join from PSG before the window closes.
Losing the 29-year-old so early in his Hammers career, especially without seeing him score one of his signature free kicks, would be disappointing.
