West Ham United have agreed a deal worth £30 million to sign James Ward-Prowse from Southampton. The club captain will finally be returning to the Premier League after the Saints’ relegation at the end of 22/23. There was a lot of speculation surrounding his future over the last few years, and he will now be joining West Ham United to take the next step in his career.

The player has agreed a four-year contract with the Hammers and will become the third signing of the summer for the club, after Edson Alvarez and Harry Maguire. The Europa Conference League winners have earned a significant amount of revenue from the sales of Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca, and are now reinvesting it into their squad.

West Ham United to sign James Ward-Prowse from Southampton

The midfielder has earned a reputation for being one of the best set-piece specialists in the English league. He ranks second in terms of most free-kick goals scored in the Premier League, only one behind the legendary David Beckham.

At the age of 28, the former Southampton captain has a lot of time to claim the record for himself. He will be completing the medical tests for the transfer in the coming days, and will soon be announced as a new signing for the club.

West Ham United might be replacing Lucas Paqueta with James Ward-Prowse, after Manchester City registered their interest in the Brazilian. A verbal offer worth €80 million has been discussed between the two clubs, but no formal agreement has been reached between them yet.