West Ham sign midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton

The 28-year-old made over 400 appearances for Southampton and captained the club last season when they were relegated from the Premier League after finishing bottom.

James Ward-Prowse has joined West Ham from Southampton. (Twitter/ West Ham)

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West Ham United signed midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton on a four-year deal on Monday, the clubs confirmed, with the transfer fee reported to be around 30 million pounds ($38.08 million).

The 28-year-old made over 400 appearances for Southampton and captained the club last season when they were relegated from the Premier League after finishing bottom.

“I’m buzzing to be here,” Ward-Prowse told West Ham’s website. “It’s great to be here and I’m looking forward to getting going.”

JWP has a message for the Claret and Blue Army 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/bdYOEWdzPA

— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 14, 2023

Ward-Prowse, who has 11 caps for England, spent two decades at Southampton. He joined the south coast club’s academy aged eight and made his senior debut at 16 in 2011.

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He has scored 17 goals directly from free-kicks in the Premier League, one fewer than his childhood hero – former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham, who holds the record.

“This is a club that has been on the rise for a number of years now,” Ward-Prowse said. “Coming off the success in the Europa Conference League last year, you can feel there is real momentum around this club.

“It’s great to be a part of it and I can’t wait to play my role in the games to come.”

Ward-Prowse is West Ham’s second signing of the transfer window following the arrival of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax.

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West Ham have also been linked with a move for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, with British media reporting the London club had agreed a deal worth around 30 million pounds for the centre back.