West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse's future is in doubt after Nuno Espirito Santo left him out of the squad to face Everton on Monday, and Fabrizio Romano, writing in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT newsletter, has confirmed that he will be allowed to leave the club in the January transfer window.
Ward-Prowse's omission from the game against Everton may have come as a surprise, with the English midfielder playing a crucial role under Graham Potter, who described him as 'dangerous', this season. Nuno opted to not only drop, but completely remove him from the squad, casting huge doubt over his long-term future at the club.
With Nuno looking to stamp his authority at West Ham, there's a chance we could see other players filtered out over the coming weeks and months. The former Nottingham Forest manager is looking to steer the Hammers back in the right direction, and he's going to have to make some tricky decisions in terms of player selection.
Ward-Prowse Can Leave West Ham in January
James Ward-Prowse in action for West Ham United
Writing in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano has confirmed that Ward-Prowse is one of the players who could leave in January after Nuno axed him from the squad to face Everton. Answering whether other players could follow in his footsteps, Romano said that it's too early, with the club assessing options ahead of making any potential decisions.
"Ward-Prowse is one of them, as he could leave the club. For others, it is still early, assessing options ahead of decisions."
GIVEMESPORT sources recently also confirmed that Ward-Prowse has been told by the club that he has no future, and there is 'no way back'. The former Southampton man is believed to have taken the news professionally, and he was told as soon as Nuno was appointed that he wouldn't be in the manager's plans.
Although it might seem like a rash decision for Nuno to make so soon after putting pen-to-paper, the former Wolves boss worked with Ward-Prowse at Nottingham Forest. The 30-year-old moved to The City Ground on loan last season, and Nuno didn't exactly make him a key player, and his temporary deal was cut short in the middle of the campaign.
A departure in January seems like the most logical solution, and it will be interesting to see what clubs decide to make a move for him when the window opens.