West Ham‘s midfield needs a revamp, and a surprising solution has emerged: selling James Ward-Prowse while capitalising on a potential gem – Youssouf Fofana.
Ward-Prowse was a consistent presence for the Hammers last season. But let’s be honest, his limitations in pace, power, and mobility were glaring. In today’s Premier League, these are essential midfield attributes, and his occasional deployment on the left wing only highlighted the mismatch.
New boss Julen Lopetegui inherits a midfield lacking bite, that being said, the new Hammers head coach might value JWP’s low risk passing game. He has a war chest of £90 million, not a lot, but a clever play could see him address this weakness and potentially turn a profit.
Here’s the plan: Sell Ward-Prowse. With his experience, a decent fee is achievable, especially with newly promoted teams in the market. Reports suggest £20 million is a realistic target.
Now, for the exciting part: Youssouf Fofana. West Ham have been tracking this 25-year-old Monaco powerhouse for a while, and here’s the good news – his price tag is a reported £13 million!
Fofana is everything Ward-Prowse isn’t – a box-to-box midfielder brimming with energy and strength. But he’s not just brawn; the Monaco website describes him as an “unreal” midfielder, hinting at technical quality too.
Imagine this: £20 million in from Ward-Prowse’s sale, £13 million out to land Fofana. That’s a potential £7 million profit while significantly upgrading the engine room!
Offloading Ward-Prowse, a player who doesn’t quite fit the mould, and bringing in Fofana, a perfect fit for the new system, is to me a no-brainer.
But will they do it?