West Ham United’s pursuit of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse has encountered another setback.
According to reporter Jack Rosser, the Hammers have seen their improved £30 million bid for the skilled midfielder rejected by the Saints.
West Ham’s opening £25m offer for the 28-year-old was £15m short of Southampton’s valuation, forcing them to increase the stakes.
However, despite suffering relegation to the Championship, Southampton are sticking to their asking price.
Their resolute stance threatens to blow West Ham out of the water, even though they desperately need a new deep-lying playmaker.
David Moyes has been in the market for midfield reinforcements since sanctioning Declan Rice’s record-breaking transfer to Arsenal earlier this summer.
Despite examining several profiles, the former Manchester United manager still has nothing to show for it, with his latest attempt to prise Ward-Prowse away from St Mary’s falling flat.
But Moyes is determined to get the deal over the line, which could see the Europa Conference League winners assemble a third proposal.
As per Ben Jacobs, West Ham will unlikely reopen talks for the English star, having ‘gone higher than planned’ with the second offer.
Their latest bid could be their final one, meaning it’s now up to Southampton to decide whether to lower their demands or ruin their captain’s hopes of moving to the London Stadium.
With West Ham ready to pull out of negotiations, Ward-Prowse may have to pressure the Saints to re-evaluate their position.
Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher has emerged as a plausible alternative if their quest to land the homegrown Southampton midfielder collapses.
Unfortunately for Moyes, his Blues counterpart Mauricio Pochettino says Gallagher is part of his long-term project at Stamford Bridge, closing the door to his summer departure.
Time is running out for West Ham, with the 2023/24 Premier League season around the corner, and Moyes risks starting a new campaign without Rice’s heir.
