West Ham are stepping up their interest in James Ward-Prowse and are prepared to smooth negotiations with Southampton over the midfielder by letting Flynn Downes move in the opposite direction.
Southampton will struggle to hold on to their best players after relegation and are close to selling Tino Livramento to Newcastle for about £30m. The 20-year-old right-back moved to St Mary’s from Chelsea two years ago and is fit after missing much of last season with a knee injury.
Chelsea inserted a buyback clause when they sold Livramento, who can play on both flanks, but he is expected to follow Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes in joining Newcastle as Eddie Howe readies his squad for the Champions League.
Southampton are likely to lose Ward-Prowse, who could cost at least £40m. West Ham want two midfielders after selling Declan Rice for £105m and David Moyes is keen to bring in players with Premier League experience. The manager, who has had a £45m bid for João Palhinha rejected by Fulham, has wavered over a move for the Monaco midfielder, Youssouf Fofana.
Ward-Prowse is proven in the Premier League and Moyes is a fan of the 28-year-old’s set-piece expertise. It is understood Ward-Prowse is interested in the move, although West Ham are yet to submit a bid.
Fulham are also interested in Ward-Prowse, who has 11 England caps, but West Ham could boost their chances of signing him by sending Downes to Southampton. Downes has made little impact since leaving Swansea last summer but the midfielder has admirers at Southampton.
Other options for West Ham in midfield include Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, Juventus’s Denis Zakaria, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Everton’s Amadou Onana. Moyes will also consider signing a striker and retains an interest in Armando Broja. The Chelsea player, who is recovering from a long-term knee injury, almost joined West Ham last summer.
The Hammers are close to winning the race to sign Carlos Borges from Manchester City. They have offered £14m for the 19-year-old winger, who has also been targeted by Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, and the deal could be completed soon.
