West Ham Midfielder Ward-Prowse Secures Burnley Loan Move
West Ham United have agreed to loan James Ward-Prowse to Burnley for the remainder of the season, with the midfielder undergoing a medical ahead of the transfer. The move comes on the same day that the Hammers confirmed the signing of winger Adama Traoré from Fulham for an undisclosed fee, understood to be a short-term deal until June.
Ward-Prowse's Exclusion Under Nuno Espírito Santo
Ward-Prowse has been out of favour at West Ham since Nuno Espírito Santo took over as manager in September. The 31-year-old, a £30 million signing from Southampton in 2023, was immediately told he would not be involved with the first team and has mostly trained away from the main group. This follows a similar pattern from last season when Ward-Prowse quickly dropped out of Nuno's plans during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, leading to an early return to West Ham.
Despite being a popular figure at the club, Ward-Prowse has not featured under Nuno, with his only inclusion in a matchday squad coming in last Saturday's win over Sunderland. Sources indicate this was due to a last-minute necessity after Guido Rodríguez joined Valencia, leaving a bench spot to fill, rather than a change in the manager's stance.
Burnley's Relegation Fight and West Ham's Squad Rebalancing
Burnley are hoping Ward-Prowse's experience will bolster their squad in their battle against relegation from the Premier League. Meanwhile, West Ham have allowed other midfielders like Andy Irving and Guido Rodríguez to depart, leaving options such as Tomas Soucek and Matheus Fernandes in that position.
Nuno Espírito Santo, who previously worked with Adama Traoré at Wolves, is actively rebalancing his squad to secure West Ham's Premier League status. The club has also cut short Igor Julio's loan from Brighton to pursue temporary moves for Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and Chelsea defender Axel Disasi.
"Adama is someone who knows the Premier League very well," Nuno said of the new signing. "His qualities – both as a player and a person – will help us between now and the end of the season. He will give us a different option in attacking areas."
