West Ham United have reached an agreement in principle with Southampton for James Ward-Prowse to return to St Mary’s.
The 31-year-old now looks set to end his spell in east London three years after leaving Southampton for West Ham.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the clubs have agreed a deal involving a nominal fee, with Ward-Prowse set to return to the club where he spent 20 years.
James Ward-Prowse set for Southampton return
The development represents rapid progression from earlier on Thursday.
ReadWestHam reported this morning that Southampton were considering a move to re-sign Ward-Prowse after the midfielder entered the final year of his West Ham contract.
An agreement in principle has now been reached.
Ward-Prowse joined West Ham from Southampton in August 2023 in a deal worth around £30million.
He initially became an important part of the Hammers midfield but later slipped down the pecking order following Nuno Espírito Santo’s arrival.
Loan spells with Nottingham Forest and Burnley followed before Ward-Prowse returned to West Ham this summer.
He appeared to have been handed another opportunity during pre-season, with ReadWestHam previously covering Nuno’s decision to give Ward-Prowse a fresh chance.
That opportunity has not developed into a regular starting role.
Ward-Prowse was left out of the squad entirely when West Ham beat Southampton 4-1 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, despite Nuno making extensive changes.
The emergence of Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kanté, alongside the arrival of Arne Engels, has increased competition in midfield.
Orford strengthened his own claim with two assists at St Mary’s, with his performance giving Nuno another selection decision ahead of Watford.
Ward-Prowse now appears poised to take a different route.
West Ham set to take major hit on £30m signing
The reported nominal fee represents a substantial reduction on the money West Ham paid Southampton three years ago.
However, Ward-Prowse has only one year remaining on his contract, while a permanent departure would also remove his salary from the wage bill.
Southampton’s official account of his original departure highlights the scale of his association with the club.
Ward-Prowse joined their academy aged eight before making 410 senior appearances and eventually becoming captain.
Subject to the remaining formalities, that relationship is now set to begin again.
