Burnley eye transfer swoop for West Ham midfielder absent from matchday squads

West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse is reported to be a transfer target for relegation rivals Burnley this month with the player having been axed from the first team by Nuno Espirito Santo.

The 31-year-old has 409 Premier League appearances to his name and offers far greater experience than the youthful options of Mateus Fernandes, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa in the centre of the park. However, Nuno is not a fan of Ward-Prowse with a rocky history that goes back to the duo’s time at Nottingham Forest.

The midfielder had been dropped by Nuno at The City Ground and the manager took a similar decision shortly after arriving at West Ham. Ward-Prowse has never featured under Nuno for the Hammers with no appearance in a matchday squad since the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in September.

Burnley interested in cast out West Ham midfielder

The playmaker had started all of the side’s first five matches of the Premier League season under Graham Potter. The Athletic this week reported that Ward-Prowse had even been cut from training drills in recent weeks, which he had been part of under Nuno initially.

The former Southampton man is now training on his own but a move away from the London Stadium in January could be on the cards - although it could mean strengthening a relegation rival.

Sky Sports report that Burnley are interested in making a move for Ward-Prowse, who has another year and a half left on his West Ham contract. The Clarets sit just one place and three points behind the London outfit in the league, with three wins to their name this term.

West Ham paid £30 million to sign Ward-Prowse from Southampton in 2023 and an offer from Burnley would provide a perfect solution to stop the club paying the wages of a player not featuring for the first team. However, it would come with the risk of potentially strengthening a team looking to beat the Hammers to survival.

Scott Parker hopes for Burnley transfer action

It’s been a quiet start to the January transfer window for Burnley but manager Scott Parker confirmed that efforts to recruit were underway ahead of facing Liverpool this weekend. He said: “We're hoping to, [make signings] for sure.

“I always say that there's so many different variables in that. Of course, there's a willingness there. There's a willingness from owners. There's a willingness from everyone to try and add some quality or add something to this group that can help us.

“But, of course, like I said, there's different dynamics that go into that. But we're active, or at least we're trying to do that. But we'll see what pans out over the next couple of weeks. It's always a tough window, this window. It's a short window and you're right in the middle of the season, so it always becomes a difficult one. But we're active to try and do something.”

In other news, West Ham plot £12m swoop for in-form Lucas Paqueta replacement.