James Ward-Prowse, Southampton and West Ham
28 August 2026
Southampton have re-signed former captain James Ward-Prowse from Championship rivals West Ham for a fee understood to be just under £1 million. The 31-year-old midfielder has signed a two-year contract, returning three years after leaving St Mary’s.
Ward-Prowse came through Southampton’s academy and made 410 first-team appearances before joining West Ham in 2023. He returns with 17 Premier League free-kick goals, one short of David Beckham’s record, after recent loan spells elsewhere.