Southampton REJECT West Ham’s £25m bid for captain James Ward-Prowse but Saints chief Jason Wilcox hints Championship side may reconsider ‘if we get the right offer’
- Southampton have rejected West Ham’s £25m offer for James Ward-Prowse
- The Saints have no need to sell despite relegation, and are holding out for £40m
- Ward-Prowse has played over 400 games as a midfielder for Southampton
Southampton have rejected West Ham’s opening £25m bid for captain and star man James Ward-Prowse, according to the club’s Director of Football Jason Wilcox.
The Saints have been expecting to lose some of their top talent after relegation to the Championship, and the Hammers have been interested in the 28-year-old midfielder, who has spent his entire professional career with the South Coast club.
Southampton are holding out for the right deal – with Wilcox confirming that the Saints have no reason to let Ward-Prowse leave unless it is a financially prosperous offer for the team.
The Sun journalist Jack Rosser tweeted that he had discussed the matter in an interview with Wilcox, who responded: ‘Have we rejected the bid? Yep.
‘If we get the right offer – we will consider it…we don’t have to sell.’
Southampton have rejected West Ham’s opening offer for their captain James Ward-Prowse
David Moyes’ side are expected to bid again to bring the 28-year-old to the London Stadium
West Ham are seeking a replacement for Declan Rice, after his £105m move from the London Stadium to Arsenal, and were hoping that £25m would encourage Ward-Prowse back to the Premier League.
However, Mail Sport previously reported that Southampton were hoping for £40m, and therefore it is no surprise that they have rejected an approach for just over half of that figure from the Hammers. David Moyes’ side are expected to bid again.
The Hammers previously considered loaning Flynn Downes to the Saints in an effort to lower Ward-Prowse’s fee, but this was of no interest to Southampton, who wanted a straight cash deal.
Southampton are hoping to receive £40m for their talisman, who has been a Saint since 2011
Ward-Prowse has long been linked with a move to the capital, and is one of several Saints stars expected to leave this summer after Southampton’s bottom place finish in the Premier League during the 2022-23 season.
Southampton manager Russell Martin is continuing to get his squad together for the upcoming season in the second-tier, although whether that is with or without Ward-Prowse remains to be seen.
The Saints begin their Championship season away to Sheffield Wednesday on August 4, while West Ham’s competitive fixtures begin eight days later away at Bournemouth.
Ward-Prowse made his Southampton debut back in 2011, after being a fixture in their youth team, and has made 409 first-team appearances across the last 12 years.
