West Ham legend Kevin Nolan has expressed his surprise over the club’s decision to let midfielder James Ward-Prowse leave this summer.
Ward-Prowse, who joined the Hammers from Southampton last summer for a fee of £30 million, made a strong impact in his debut season, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Despite his solid performances, Ward-Prowse found himself out of favour under new manager Julen Lopetegui. As a result, he was loaned out to Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season, a move that left many, including Nolan, puzzled.
Discussing the midfielder on Football Daily podcast, Nolan claimed that West Ham made a mistake letting him leave.
He said:
“I must admit I’m very surprised that West Ham let him go. I get that Julen wants to bring in his own players but James Ward-Prowse is one of those players who never does anything wrong.“
“He makes the correct decision and just gets the game. His set-pieces are phenomenal.”
West Ham’s poor start to the season
West Ham were one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window, spending heavily to strengthen their squad.
However, despite the influx of new signings, the Hammers have struggled in the early stages of the season, winning only one of their first four games. They suffered defeats to Aston Villa and Manchester City and were held to a draw by Fulham in their most recent outing.
With pressure mounting, manager Julen Lopetegui will be hoping to secure a vital win in their upcoming match against Chelsea, though it promises to be a challenging test for his side.