Everton were in contention to sign James Ward-Prowse from West Ham in January and are “almost certain” the midfielder will leave the London Stadium in the new year.
Ward-Prowse spent many years at Southampton, where he had an impressive career that earned him a reputation as one of the best set-piece specialists in Premier League history.
“He’s just world-class. If he gets into the box, he’ll be on the edge of the goal and there’s a good chance he’ll score.” – Alan Shearer on Ward-Prowse’s free-kick
However, Ward-Prowse has struggled to become a regular for West Ham this season and with his current contract expiring in the summer of 2027, the Hammers are set to listen to offers for him in January.
Earlier this month, Dean Jones reported: “There’s no way he’ll be back in West Ham’s plans. Nuno just doesn’t want him in the squad. He doesn’t accept the idea of this change of direction.”He claimed the move was “almost certain”.
“I don’t think there is any chance that West Ham will try to prevent him from leaving. I think they will treat him with respect and give him a chance to leave.”
Everton are the team most linked with the 11-cap England international, and new updates have been revealed regarding a potential move for the 31-year-old.
Everton ready to provide exit route for Ward and Prowse
talk to football insiderFormer scout Mick Brown said Everton were interested in Ward-Prowse because of his links with David Moyes and admitted the Blues were “keen” to give him a fresh start.
“David Moyes knows him well from his time at West Ham. In fact, it was Moyes who brought him in in the first place because he felt he could add something that West Ham were missing at the time.”
“If he feels the situation is the same at Everton now, they might try to bring him back in. So he’s definitely a player that’s on their radar and if he’s available, they’ll be one of the players they’ll look to bring him in. He’s not in the team at West Ham and the manager doesn’t seem to value him, but maybe he needs a fresh start and Everton would be happy to provide that.”
“Looking from the outside, I don’t know if he’s needed by Everton at the moment. He’s a good ball-running player, but they’ve got some of that. I don’t think he’ll provide enough out-of-possession to do the job in that team. But he’s a Premier League player and he’s in a position that Everton want to strengthen and he’s available for what I expect to be a reasonable fee, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Ward-Prowse, 31, is now in the autumn of his career and Everton are unlikely to sign him as a long-term prospect with a high sale value.
That said, his experience and lasting quality could make him a shrewd signing, and while he’s not necessarily a key starter, he could add depth to the Blues’ squad at a relatively low cost considering his contract situation.
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He recently scored a hat trick.
The fact that Moyes knows him so well is only a plus – if Moyes didn’t value him as a player and as a person, he wouldn’t want him – so the pluses outweigh the minuses.
