West Ham ready to end James Ward-Prowse transfer chase as Carlos Borges heads to Ajax
est Ham are ready to walk away from transfer talks over James Ward-Prowse, while they will not be signing Carlos Borges after all.
Southampton captain and set-piece specialist Ward-Prowse has long been identified as a key target for the Hammers this summer, as part of plans to replace talismanic captain Declan Rice following his blockbuster £105million switch to London rivals Arsenal.
Negotiations have been ongoing after an initial bid was rejected earlier in the window, with the England midfielder, 28, believed to be keen on a move to West Ham as he looks to seal an immediate return to the Premier League following Southampton’s relegation to the Championship last season.
There were previously discussions over whether Flynn Downes could even move in the opposite direction as part of the deal.
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However, Standard Sport understands that West Ham are now ready to exit negotiations over Ward-Prowse, having baulked at Southampton’s asking price for their long-serving skipper.
Borges will also not be heading to the London Stadium, with Ajax having now swooped for his services.
West Ham were expected to sign the 19-year-old winger from Manchester City in a deal worth around £14million, having seemingly seen off competition from the likes of Brighton, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in a real coup for David Moyes.
However, the former Sporting Lisbon youngster, regarded as one of the most talented players in the English youth academy system, is now heading to Ajax for £17m instead.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday evening that Borges was travelling to Amsterdam for a medical having agreed a four-year contract with the Eredivisie giants until 2027, with City set to include buy-back and sell-on clauses in the deal.
West Ham are understood to have been put off by the Portugal Under-19 international’s wage demands.
Deal in jeopardy: West Ham could end talks with Southampton over James Ward-Prowse
/ Getty ImagesThe Hammers are yet to make a single signing in the summer window with their Premier League opener against Bournemouth now less than two weeks away, despite the windfall gained by Rice’s British record sale to Arsenal.
West Ham have seen bids rejected for Conor Gallagher at Chelsea and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha in their search to fill the sizable void left by Rice’s departure, while they have also been interested in former Chelsea loanee Denis Zakaria of Juventus and Scott McTominay at Manchester United.
They have also failed with two offers for former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and been linked with Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert and Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana in recent days, plus Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah.
West Ham are also after a new striker this summer with Gianluca Scamacca the subject of interest from Serie A duo Inter Milan and Roma.
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