“Lopetegui Lockout” | JWP Joins The Hammers Offload List. The transfer of Carlos Soler could spell bad news for James Ward-Prowse if the deal goes through as expected this week. Yesterday Simon wrote a piece suggesting that Ward Prowse could become an unpredictable casualty of the Spaniards arrival and this has been confirmed by TeamTalk who claim we’re ready to offload the midfielder.
Last season’s £25m signing from Southampton might face significant challenges ahead if West Ham completes the transaction with PSG, which seems to depend on at least one outbound sale first.
With West Ham’s head coach Julen Lopetegui already having a wealth of midfield options, Ward-Prowse could see his first-team opportunities severely limited based on early indications. I have a bit of sympathy for JWP who has clearly done nothing wrong, has decent ability and an excellent attitude, it’s just that he doesn’t appear to be Lopetegui’s cup of tea.
The set-piece specialist was an unused substitute in West Ham’s 2-0 Premier League victory against Crystal Palace at the weekend. This followed a brief appearance from the bench in the previous game against Aston Villa, and things don’t look too promising for him in the battle for midfield places at the London Stadium.
Guido Rodríguez has quickly established himself in the West Ham team under J-Lo, and the return of Edson Álvarez has further strengthened the midfield.
Few could have foreseen Tomas Soucek becoming a regular starter under the Hammers’ new head coach, who has also shown a willingness to play Lucas Paquetá in midfield.
This situation does not bode well for Ward-Prowse, who will likely feature in the League Cup game against Bournemouth. However, if West Ham signs Soler from Paris Saint-Germain, JWP might find himself either accepting a reserve role or looking for a new club.
