West Ham have 'reaped the benefits' of major £30m deal at the London Stadium

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·19 September 2023

West Ham have 'reaped the benefits' of major £30m deal at the London Stadium

Highlights

James Ward-Prowse has been a standout player for West Ham United this season, contributing with goals and assists from open play.
His set-piece ability and creativity have made him a valuable asset to the team, especially with players like Zouma and Antonio ready to attack deliveries into the box.
Other top Premier League clubs may have overlooked Ward-Prowse, but West Ham is now benefiting from his desire to move to the London Stadium, and he is expected to continue performing at a high level.

West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse has been impressive in his early days at the club, and journalist Paul Brown has explained to GIVEMESPORT why he didn't end up at a bigger club in the summer transfer window.

Hammers fans might not have expected Ward-Prowse to be contributing as much as he has in front of goal this season.

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Ward-Prowse signed for West Ham during the summer transfer window from Championship side Southampton for a fee of £30m. The England international captained his former club, but could not prevent the Saints from suffering relegation from the Premier League. As a result, Ward-Prowse opted to depart from St Mary's after spending his whole career on the south coast.

The Portsmouth-born midfielder is well known for his set-piece ability, but he's shown this campaign that he's capable of contributing from open play. Ward-Prowse has comfortably been one of West Ham's best players so far this term.

Losing Declan Rice was never going to be ideal, but replacing him with Ward-Prowse whilst also having plenty of money left over to reinforce other areas, including the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez, has certainly made the best of a bad situation.

Journalist Brown previously told GIVEMESPORT that new signing Kudus will love playing with Ward-Prowse and, considering some of his creativity statistics above, it's difficult to disagree. David Moyes was full of praise for the former Southampton midfielder after the impact he made against Chelsea last month...

“James Ward-Prowse played so well and that’s what we want, isn’t it? We want midfielders who look to make assists and score. We’ve got him in now and he’s already made a difference with his set-piece quality today. I’m really pleased for him. He’s settled in well and he looks a really good lad for our dressing room.”

Giving them something they didn't really have before - Paul Brown

Ward-Prowse's obvious set-piece threat was always going to make him an attractive prospect to Moyes. When you've got the likes of Kurt Zouma, Michail Antonio, and Tomas Soucek, to name a few, ready to battle for deliveries into the box, Ward-Prowse is your ideal man.

Brown has suggested that Ward-Prowse has given the Hammers something they didn't have before and is only going to go from strength to strength. The journalist adds that there were other clubs in the Premier League that would have been taking a look at Ward-Prowse, but West Ham are now reaping the benefits of him wanting a move to the London Stadium. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said...

"I think there were other clubs in the upper echelons of the Premier League that could have taken a look at Ward-Prowse, but maybe thought that they had enough cover in that area to make a move for him unnecessary, and West Ham have reaped the benefits of that. I think they got a great deal in the end. I think he's proved to be exactly what I said he would be, a massive part of their team. A huge upgrade in the area giving them something they didn't really have before, and I think he'll go from strength to strength there and be one of their best players this season."

With Rice departing for Arsenal, West Ham were able to offer Ward-Prowse regular Premier League and European football. It would have been difficult to find a club more suited for the English midfielder. West Ham fans will be impressed with what they've seen so far and will be hoping it continues for the season.

Is Ward-Prowse the signing of the summer?

Based on the impact on the side so far, Ward-Prowse is certainly up there for one of the signings of the summer in the Premier League. James Maddison and Rice are other strong shouts for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal respectively, but of course, the latter had plenty of expectations due to the £105m price tag. Two goals and three assists for a deep midfielder is an impressive achievement for Ward-Prowse, so even if he's not considered the signing of the summer, the impact he has made will be vastly appreciated by Hammers fans.