August 14, (THEWILL) – West Ham bolstered their midfield ranks on Monday, with the signing of England international, James Ward-Prowse, from Southampton.
The 28-year-old midfielder agreed to a four-year contract after the Hammers paid Southampton a reported £30 million transfer fee. Ward-Prowse returns to the English Premier League just months after Southampton’s relegation last season. He served as captain as the Saints crashed out of the top flight after a decade-long stay. In total, Ward-Prowse made over 400 appearances for Southampton after rising through their Youth Academy from the age of eight.
At West Ham, Ward-Prowse will help fill the void left by Declan Rice’s £105 million move to Arsenal last month. “This club has been on the rise and you can feel the momentum here. I can’t wait to play my role,” said Ward-Prowse of joining the Hammers.
During his time on the south coast, Ward-Prowse earned 11 England caps and scored two international goals. He is just one free-kick goal shy of tying David Beckham’s English Premier League record of 18 set-piece strikes.
Ward-Prowse becomes West Ham’s second major signing this summer after the acquisition of midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax. The Hammers opened their Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth and Ward-Prowse could make his debut on Sunday, against Chelsea in the first of the London derbies.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
