da fezbet： West Ham United may have had a bid rejected by Southampton for their club captain and talismanic midfielder James Ward-Prowse, but "we shouldn't rule [out] them going back in" before the window closes, per Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Are West Ham United signing James Ward-Prowse?
da esoccer bet： The Hammers have had a disappointing transfer window so far this year. They kicked things off by losing their best player and club captain Declan Rice to London rivals Arsenal, albeit for £105m – a new record fee for a British player.
This kind of money would usually soften the blow of losing the club's talisman, but it can only do that if they actually spend it, and as of August 3rd, they have the unfortunate label of being the only Premier League team yet to make a single summer signing, per the Express.
It hasn't been entirely down to a lack of trying, though, as the club have been bidding for players, notably a £40m offer for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, a £20m offer for Manchester United's Harry Maguire, and a £30m offer for Saints star Ward-Prowse – all offers that have been rejected.
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The case of Ward-Prowse is an interesting one as, despite the Iron's final bid being described as a "take it or leave it" offer, there is still a chance David Moyes' side will come back in for the midfielder towards the end of the window, per Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
He explained the situation on Sky Sports' Transfer Talk podcast, saying:
"Staying with Southampton, they have rejected a £30m bid; this is from West Ham for the midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
"West Ham are looking at alternatives, but I just get the impression we shouldn't rule [out] them going back in for Ward-Prowse before the end of the transfer window."
How good was James Ward-Prowse last season?
There is no getting away from the fact that, as a team, Southampton were not very good last year, verging on dysfunctional. And yet, there were at least a couple of stand-out performers – as there are with most relegated sides – Romeo Lavia and Ward-Prowse.
The Saints' captain seemingly did all he could to try and keep the club he has spent his entire senior career with, scoring nine goals, providing four assists and averaging a seriously impressive match rating of 6.95 across his 38 Premier League games, per WhoScored.
He also maintained a passing accuracy of 85.3%, the second highest in the squad for players with at least 90 minutes under their belt, which could be an essential quality in helping the Irons better control the ball next season.
His underlying numbers have also been exceptional over the last year, especially given the team he has been playing in.
According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the "sensational" 28-year-old sits in the top 13% for non-penalty goals and expected assists, the top 16% for shot-creating actions, and the top 17% for interceptions, all per 90.
He left quite an impression on former boss Nathan Jones when earlier this year, he was waxing lyrical about the Portsmouth-born maestro, saying:
"He's been outstanding. When I arrived at the club, my first conversation with him was ten minutes after he didn't get picked for the England squad.
"Since that moment, he's been absolutely world class for me. For me, the way he's been around it and the way he reacted – we're seeing his performances now that are motivated and driven."
If West Ham still find themselves without a new midfielder come the end of August, they could do a lot worse than the Saints legend, and the £40m asking price might not seem quite as bad then.