West Ham United head coach Graham Potter has no interest in offloading James Ward-Prowse when the transfer window reopens after taking advantage of an opportunity to reignite his London Stadium career when his loan spell at Nottingham Forest was cut short last month, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The Hammers mutually agreed to welcome the 30-year-old back from the City Ground on deadline day, following discussions with the Tricky Trees, as they went in search of fresh impetus in the middle of the park due to finding themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Potter is looking to make further changes to his squad when the next opportunity arises in the summer and has wasted no time in working closely with Kyle Macaulay, who was appointed as West Ham's head of recruitment in January, to put plans in place ahead of his first full campaign in the hot-seat.
Ward-Prowse Firmly in Plans for Next Season
East Londoners not entertaining possibility of offloading midfielder
James Ward-Prowse in action for West Ham United
Potter wants to keep Ward-Prowse at West Ham and have him among his options heading into next season, according to GMS sources, after he has worked his way into the forefront of the former Brighton & Hove Albion chief's plans since making a mid-season return from Nottingham Forest.
Although the central midfielder was frozen out by then-boss Julen Lopetegui during the early stages of the campaign, which resulted in him being allowed to embark on a fresh challenge in the Midlands, he still has two years remaining on a contract worth £115,000-per-week and will not be put on the market by the Hammers in the coming months.
GMS sources have been informed that Ward-Prowse is delighted to have been given a lifeline to get his West Ham career back on track due to being eager to ensure the move works out, while he has played almost every minute of the last four Premier League fixtures after making an instant impact.
James Ward-Prowse's statistics since returning to West Ham United
The east Londoners won the race for the England international when they forked out £30million to lure him away from Southampton in August 2023, following the south coast outfit's relegation to the Championship, and he has fought his way back into the preferred starting line-up despite being cast aside by Lopetegui.
Potter was eager to bring Ward-Prowse's loan spell at Nottingham Forest to a premature end due to being confident that he would be a perfect fit for the team he is attempting to build at West Ham, GMS sources have learned, and the tactician is pleased with the level of performances being put in.
Potter Eager to Continue Assessing His Squad
Tactician will not rush into sanctioning departures in summer
Graham Potter
GMS sources have been told that Potter is continuing to assess members of his squad after being determined to give everyone a fresh start since his appointment as Lopetegui's successor in January, and he will not rush into sanctioning any departures until he has made a final decision on whether they fit into his West Ham plans.
Ward-Prowse has been described as 'world-class' by pundit Alan Shearer and, having offered the likes of Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez competition for a regular starting berth, is not on course to be among the names to be put on the market after a call has already been made to retain his services.
Potter wants to take a closer look at central defender Nayef Aguerd when he returns from a loan spell with Real Sociedad and is back alongside his West Ham teammates in pre-season, GMS sources understand, as the possibility of being handed a fresh opportunity to prove his worth has not been ruled out at this stage.
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The Hammers are also looking to secure reinforcements ahead of the transfer window officially reopening for business, with GMS sources recently revealing that a formal pre-contract offer has been made in an attempt to win the race for Jonathan David as he prepares to leave Lille as a free agent.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 21/03/2025
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