James Ward-Prowse has already been told there is no way back for him at West Ham United.
The central midfielder is now resigned to being ‘bombed out’ by new boss Nuno Espirito Santo and quitting the club in January.
Ward-Prowse Not in Nuno’s Plans at London Stadium
Nuno’s dramatic decision to omit Ward-Prowse from West Ham’s matchday squad for the trip to Everton on Monday sent shockwaves through the Hammers’ camp on the eve of his first game in charge.
The 30-year-old was told as soon as the new head coach arrived on Saturday that he has no future under him at the London Stadium. There was no row and the player took the news professionally. It is believed Nuno simply does not see Ward-Prowse in his team going forwards.
West Ham fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at Everton in the absence of set-piece expert Ward-Prowse, with Jarrod Bowen’s deflected strike cancelling out Michael Keane’s first half header for the hosts at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The 11-cap England international, who has been on the Hammers’ books since sealing a £30million switch from Southampton in August 2023, needs just one more free-kick goal to equal David Beckham’s record of 18 in the Premier League. But it won’t be happening anytime soon.
Ward-Prowse joined domestic counterparts Nottingham Forest, who were under Nuno at the time, on loan from West Ham in August last year. But the deal was cut short halfway through.
He is under contract with the struggling Hammers until June 2027 but knows he must quit east London to get any game time. He will discover in the next few days what the daily routine will be like from now on, but he is unlikely to be allowed anywhere near the first-team squad for training.
His boyhood club Southampton are set to be among those interested in taking Ward-Prowse in the January transfer window as they bid for promotion from the Championship.
Ward-Prowse had started each of the six matches in all competitions for West Ham this season prior to being ousted against Everton. He has made 73 appearances for the Hammers, scoring eight goals and registering a further 12 assists along the way.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore – correct as of 30/09/2025
