A Southampton player who Russell Martin wanted to keep at the club last summer could now be on the move again as he has been told he is free to leave just a year after leaving St Mary’s.
Russell Martin oversaw a summer of change when he was appointed as Southampton manager last summer.
18 players left either permanently, on loan or at the end of their contracts, leaving Martin to pick up the pieces of a club wounded by relegation from the Premier League.
Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento were sold for big fees to Chelsea and Newcastle, whilst Armel Bella-Kotchap and Paul Onuachu left on loan in the absence of an agreeable offer for a sale.
Nathan Tella earned a surprise move to Bayer Leverkusen where he won a historic double last season, going the entirety of the domestic season unbeaten in the process.
Perhaps the departure which hurt Saints fans the most was that of their captain and academy graduate James Ward-Prowse as he secured a £30 million move to West Ham in a bid to boost his international prospects.
James Ward-Prowse will be allowed to leave West Ham this summer
Ward-Prowse enjoyed a decent start to life at the Hammers, quickly becoming a feature of David Moyes’ side.
However, those performances did not result in the England recall the 29-year-old craved and his form dipped as the season went on.
Moyes was replaced by Julen Lopetegui this summer and the Spanish coach chose not to start the midfielder in the opening day defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday, instead introducing him from the bench in the 74th minute.
That would appear to be a telling decision as The Times have now reported that West Ham are ‘open to offloading’ Ward-Prowse just a year after securing a move to the East London club.
Southampton should not consider move for Ward-Prowse
It would not have been an easy decision for Ward-Prowse to leave Southampton last summer.
Having progressed through the youth ranks, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut in October 2011 before going on to make 410 appearances for the club across 12 years.
Much-maligned manager Nathan Jones was full of praise for Ward-Prowse after a brace handed the Welshman the only league win of his brief tenure in January 2023, 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.”
Jones concluded: “He’s one of the best technicians I’ve ever seen, the consistency he shows is world class.”
Southampton have moved on from Ward-Prowse and should refrain from exploring a return even if Ward-Prowse himself is keen.
Martin’s side are a very different beast to the one Ward-Prowse left behind and they must continue in their new direction.
Besides, West Ham would likely want to recoup a fair chunk of the £30 million they paid last summer and that should price Southampton out of weighing up the possibility of a St Mary’s return.