Everton are in the race to sign James Ward-Prowse from West Ham in January, with the midfielder "almost certain" to leave the London Stadium in the new year.
Ward-Prowse has enjoyed an impressive career, spending many years at Southampton and being renowned for being one of the best set-piece specialists in Premier League history.
"He’s just world-class. Put it into an area, you’ll get on the end of it, and you’ve got a right good chance of scoring goals." - Alan Shearer on Ward-Prowse's free kicks
james-ward-prowse-west-ham
Ward-Prowse has struggled to be a regular for West Ham this season however, and with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2027, the Hammers are set to listen to offers for him in January.
"There’s no way he’s getting back into the plans at West Ham. Nuno just doesn’t want him in the team; he is not open to the idea of this turning around," reported Dean Jones earlier this month, claiming a move is "almost certain".
“I don’t see any possibility that West Ham try to stop him from leaving. I think they will treat him with respect and allow him the chance to move."
Everton are the team most strongly linked with the 11-cap England international, and now a new update has emerged regarding a possible move for the 31-year-old.
Everton ready to offer Ward-Prowse exit route
james-ward-prowse-west-ham-premier-league
Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown talked up Everton's interest in Ward-Prowse due to his connection with David Moyes, confirming the Blues are "willing" to offer him a fresh start.
"David Moyes knows him well from his time at West Ham. In fact, it was Moyesey who brought him there in the first place because he felt he could add something West Ham lacked at that time.
"If he now feels the situation at Everton is the same, he could look to bring him in again. So he’s definitely somebody who will be on their radar and if he does become available, they’re going to be among those looking to bring him in. He’s not been in the side at West Ham and the manager doesn’t seem to rate him, but maybe he needs a fresh start, and Everton would be willing to provide that for him.
"Looking at it from the outside, I’m not sure he’s what Everton need at the moment. He’s a good passer of the ball, but they’ve got a couple of those, I don’t think he offers enough out of possession to do a job in that team. But he’s a Premier League player in a position Everton want to strengthen, and he’s available for what I expect would be a reasonable price, so it wouldn’t surprise me."
At 31, Ward-Prowse is now in the autumn of his career, so Everton wouldn't be signing him as a long-term prospect with lots of sell-on value.
That said, he could be a shrewd signing in terms of his experience and enduring quality, not necessarily being a key starter but adding depth to the Blues' squad at a relatively low cost given his contract situation.
troy-parrott-ireland Related
[Friedkin now plotting 2026 move to sign "sensational" boyhood Everton fan](https://www.footballfancast.com/friedkin-troy-parrott-everton-transfer-news-david-moyes-premier-league/ "Friedkin now plotting 2026 move to sign "sensational" boyhood Everton fan")
He recently scored a hat-trick.
The fact that Moyes knows him well can only be a positive - he wouldn't want him if he didn't value him as a player and a character - so the positives outweigh the negatives.
Only three players earn more than James Ward-Prowse at West Ham