West Ham United Sell Former Fan Favourite For Under £1m: Right Decision?

Southampton have confirmed the permanent return of James Ward-Prowse from West Ham United on a two-year contract, with the fee sitting just under £1 million, as first reported by Alex Crook and later corroborated by journalist Ben Jacobs. The 31-year-old midfielder has gone back to the club where he spent the bulk of his career, ending a stint at the London Stadium that never really got off the ground from day one.

West Ham United’s season broke Ward-Prowse completely

Ward-Prowse’s 2025/26 was a mess, frankly. He played 18 Premier League matches across West Ham and a mid-season loan at Burnley, clocking 1,097 minutes, scoring zero goals, and contributing just one assist. His passing completion sat at 88.36%, and he created 23 chances across the campaign.

At Burnley over 13 appearances, he won only 7 tackles and recorded 8 interceptions, numbers that expose a player visibly struggling with the physical demands of top-flight football at 31. Nuno dropped him almost immediately after arriving, and the Burnley loan felt more like a favour than a tactical plan.

West Ham United make a brutal but correct call

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: James Ward-Prowse of West Ham United during the pre-season friendly match between West Ham United and Lille OSC at London Stadium on August 09, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Selling a player purchased for £30m in 2023 for under £1m looks catastrophic on a spreadsheet. It isn’t, though, not when you factor in the full picture. Ward-Prowse was pocketing £57,500 per week. Stripping that salary completely off the books clears meaningful financial fair play space for a club now fighting through a tough 46-game Championship season.

Nuno’s system demands aggressive, vertical ball-winners, profiles like Mohamadou Kanté and new signing Arne Engels. Ward-Prowse, a beautiful set-piece deliverer, simply can’t cover lateral ground at the pace Nuno’s mid-block structure requires. He admitted himself that things “hadn’t gone as well” as he’d hoped in East London.

Keeping a disgruntled veteran on £57,500 a week for bench cameos would have poisoned the wage structure and blocked younger options. West Ham are now actively chasing Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and freeing up that salary directly funds that sort of business. Ward-Prowse gets a fresh start. Nuno gets a cleaner, younger midfield.