West Ham transfer news: Forest make late move for playmaker?

Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been tasked with trying to establish Forest as a mid-table club in the Premier League and beyond having guided the team to survival in 2023-24.

On the back of a productive transfer window that could continue with the addition of a new striker, Forest have secured four points from their opening two fixtures.

After a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth where their opponents netted a late leveller, the East Midlands outfit earned a 1-0 victory on the South coast versus Southampton on Saturday.

With club officials seemingly prepared to spend in excess of £25m on a central-forward, it appeared unlikely that more money would be spent on acquiring another notable name for the engine room.

However, given the potential season-ending injury to Danilo, Forest are allegedly attempting to sign a high-profile alternative.

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Ward-Prowse linked with West Ham exit

According to Football Insider, Forest are looking to take advantage of Ward-Prowse's situation at the London Stadium.

Little over a year ago, West Ham paid in the region of £30m to sign the long-serving Southampton midfielder, who subsequently went on to impress in his first season in the capital.

A total of seven goals and 11 assists came from 47 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League, yet it appears that the 29-year-old has dropped down the pecking order under Julen Lopetegui.

Ward-Prowse has been selected on the substitutes' bench for each of West Ham's opening two Premier League games, featuring for just 16 minutes against Aston Villa and remaining unused versus Crystal Palace.

West Ham are said to be willing to cash in on the set-piece specialist before Friday's August 30 deadline, with Forest now bidding to get a deal over the line.

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Do West Ham need to sell?

With West Ham having spent over £130m in transfer fees and possessing the obligation to buy Jean-Clair Todibo in 2025, it is clear that sales will need to be made at some stage.

West Ham have somewhere between £90m and £100m as their net spend for this transfer window, and are seemingly prepared to get Kurt Zouma's wages off their outgoings by facilitating a loan or free transfer.

Only one central midfielder - Guido Rodriguez on a free transfer - has been added to Lopetegui's squad, with Ward-Prowse now fourth or fifth choice in that area.

If he was sold for a substantial fee, West Ham could plausibly acquire a replacement for a lower sum.

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