West Ham are looking to sign Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, but are trying to secure a deal for around half of the Saints’ £40m asking price.
Relegation from the Premier League has meant that Southampton are now set to lose their star player, who reportedly has interest from over 10 clubs.
West Ham are the front-runners as they look to replace Declan Rice, with their captain on the verge of a move to Arsenal, but they are currently unwilling to match Southampton’s desired fee.
A report from the Daily Mail has claimed that West Ham are aiming to get the deal done for around £20m, but given the heavy interest in him, it seems unlikely that Southampton will baulk at this offer, amidst further reluctance to lose both Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia in the same window.
How much should Ward-Prowse go for?
An exit seems inevitable for the 28-year-old this summer, but given his age, he is unlikely to join a top-six side.
This gives the likes of West Ham, Aston Villa or even clubs abroad the edge when it comes to attempting to sign him, and Southampton are not in the strongest negotiating position.
Relegation, and the player’s desire to move on now, has left the club in a position where they need to sell, and despite him having three years left on his deal, they may not be able to get a fee in line with other English midfielders who have moved this summer, such as Rice, James Maddison or Mason Mount.
It seems likely that Southampton will sell at a lower fee than £40m, but they will be hoping to receive a higher offer than the reported fee West Ham are currently willing to pay.
The Hammers are set to receive a record fee for Rice, and this could mean that they are able to stretch to a higher price for Ward-Prowse, but Southampton will just hope to get a deal done quicky as pre-season preparations begin for Russell Martin.