Yesterday [I looked at three loan players](https://www.claretandhugh.info/seven-appearances-six-injuries-and-149-days-sidelined-and-headed-back-to-london-stadium-west-ham-news/) set to return to West Ham this summer, but there was one glaring omission: James Ward-Prowse, currently battling for survival with Burnley.
Ward-Prowse made the switch to Turf Moor in January 2026 on a loan deal running until the end of the 2025/26 season, with no option to buy. Burnley brought him in for leadership, set-pieces and to fill a gap in midfield after Josh Cullen suffered a season-ending injury.
Burnley situation complicates matters
-------------------------------------
But with Burnley staring at an immediate drop back into the Championship, the bigger question is what happens next.
Nuno Espírito Santo has already made his stance clear. Ward-Prowse was frozen out of West Ham’s plans long before the loan, and the club even agreed to cover around 30% of his wages just to facilitate the move. His contract, signed in 2023, expires in June 2027, meaning he will return to the club with only one year left on his deal.
No way back at West Ham?
------------------------
Unless West Ham undergo a managerial change – not impossible if relegation becomes reality and Nuno decides to leave – or suffer a major squad reshuffle, Ward-Prowse looks destined to remain outside the club’s long-term vision.
Southampton return feels inevitable
-----------------------------------
And that is where the romantic storyline resurfaces.
A return to Southampton, the club he served for two decades and where he became a modern icon, continues to hover in the background. If the Saints clinch promotion back to the [Premier League](https://www.claretandhugh.info/premier-league-bio/), they will need proven top-flight experience, and few players fit that bill better than Ward-Prowse. It feels like the most natural landing spot should he seek stability and a fresh start. Reports suggested that Southampton made enquiries in January, and it is likely they will revisit in the summer.
Time for a clean break
----------------------
Ultimately, Ward-Prowse’s West Ham chapter never truly ignited and now seems the right moment for both sides to move in different directions.