James Ward-Prowse has joined West Ham United for a fee thought to be around £30m, signing a four-year deal.
The free-kick specialist has rarely been a serious Fantasy Premier League (FPL) option in the past, but he did score nine Premier League goals for Southampton last season, despite their relegation to the Championship.
So, we’ll take a look at his future prospects in this Moving Target piece, where we have included data/graphics from our Premium Members Area.
IN QUOTES
“I’m buzzing to be here at West Ham United. It’s great to be here and I’m looking forward to getting going. From the outside looking in, this is a club that has been on the rise for a number of years now and coming off the success in the UEFA Europa Conference League last year, you can feel there is real momentum around this club. It’s great to be a part of it and I can’t wait to play my role in the games to come.
When I think about my game, it is based on hard work, graft, and giving 100%. West Ham United has always been a club that epitomises that. You can feel that from the fans and you can see it in the players who are here and the lads that have come through the academy too. I feel as though I will fit straight in and I can promise I will give my all for this football club in my time here.” – James Ward-Prowse
“I’m delighted to bring a player of James’ quality and experience to West Ham United. He’s performed to a very high level in the Premier League over the last decade, constantly producing good numbers season after season. His leadership qualities are obviously another huge plus for us – he’ll be a big voice for us, someone who drives the team on from the middle of the pitch. We’re excited to get him up and running, for what will be another busy season on both the domestic and European front.” – David Moyes on James Ward-Prowse
WARD-PROWSE: FPL HISTORY
| Season | Started (subbed on) | Mins played | Goals | Assists |
| 2022/23 | 38 | 3,371 | 9 | 4 |
| 2021/22 | 36 | 3,215 | 10 | 5 |
| 2020/21 | 38 | 3,420 | 8 | 7 |
| 2019/20 | 38 | 3,420 | 5 | 4 |
| 2018/19 | 21 (5) | 1,942 | 7 | 0 |
| 2017/18 | 20 (10) | 1,714 | 3 | 5 |
| 2016/17 | 22 (8) | 1,884 | 4 | 4 |
| 2015/16 | 14 (19) | 1,533 | 2 | 4 |
| 2014/15 | 16 (9) | 1,478 | 1 | 8 |
| 2013/14 | 16 (18) | 1,601 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012/13 | 4 (11) | 481 | 0 | 0 |
Ward-Prowse made his Premier League debut in the 2012/13 season and made 343 Premier League appearances for Southampton over the next 11 years.
In the last four, whilst captaining Saints, he has appeared in every single top-flight fixture bar just two, both of which he missed through suspension.
His best goalscoring season to date was in 2021/22, when he hit double-figures for the first time, combining that ‘nailed’ status we sometimes take for granted with a decent amount of attacking returns (15).
SET-PIECE PROWESS
“There is no better taker. Southampton have the best free-kick taker I have ever seen, or at least he is in the world right now. He really understands the game but it is his free-kicks, set-pieces and corners that people pay more attention to.” – Pep Guardiola on James Ward-Prowse
Whilst at Southampton, Ward-Prowse has earnt a reputation as arguably the best set-piece taker in the Premier League.
He has scored 17 free-kicks in the top-flight, just one short of David Beckham’s record, and two in each of his last five campaigns, highlighting his consistency.
In addition, Ward-Prowse also creates lots of chances for his team-mates from dead-ball situations.
In 2022/23, only three players delivered more crosses than his 241, while his 74 created chances ranked 7th, which is all the more impressive given that he was playing for a team that finished bottom of the league.
WHERE DOES WARD-PROWSE FIT IN AT WEST HAM?
Ward-Prowse will play a central creative role for West Ham, as per David Moyes’ quote.
As we can see from his 2022/23 touch heatmap (see below), he often drifts towards the right flank, looking to find pockets of space to receive the ball.
From this position, he can perfectly balance his attacking and defensive responsibilities: only four players recorded more interceptions than Ward-Prowse’s 55 last year.
Above: James Ward-Prowse’s touch heatmap 2022/23
Occasionally, Southampton have deployed Ward-Prowse in a more advanced midfield role, so there is potential for him to play closer to goal, but the initial expectation is that he has been brought in to sit alongside fellow new recruit Edson Alvarez (£5.0m) in Moyes’ engine room.
It’s just a shame West Ham will probably lose Lucas Paqueta (£6.0m) to Manchester City, as a Ward-Prowse/Alvarez/Paqueta combination in midfield would carry potential.
WARD-PROWSE V WEST HAM MIDFIELDERS: UNDERLYING NUMBERS 2022/23
| Name | Cost | Mins per goal | Mins per shot | Mins per shot in box | Mins per chance created | Mins per expected goal (xG) | Mins per expected assist (xA) |
| Jarrod Bowen | £7.0m | 538.3 | 43.1 | 58.7 | 67 | 342.9 | 538.3 |
| Tomas Soucek | £5.0m | 1408.5 | 82.9 | 90.9 | 188 | 695.6 | 2657.5 |
| Lucas Paqueta | £6.0m | 534 | 40.3 | 76.3 | 67 | 485.5 | 812.2 |
| Said Benrahma | £6.0m | 349 | 28.7 | 61.6 | 44 | 298.3 | 634.5 |
| Pablo Fornals | £5.0m | 515.7 | 57.3 | 154.7 | 77 | 696.8 | 762.1 |
| James Ward-Prowse | ? | 373.8 | 76.5 | 336.4 | 45 | 573.1 | 633.5 |
Above: Minimum 1,000 minutes
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ward-Prowse could make his debut for West Ham on Sunday but the Hammers have tough fixtures, with Chelsea, Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Aston Villa to play in the next eight Gameweeks.
As a result, they sit near the bottom of the ticker, so presuming Ward-Prowse is priced up around £6.0m, it’s almost impossible to make a case for him over others in his position like Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m) and Moussa Diaby (£6.5m), who enjoy much better runs.
Above: West Ham’s fixtures Gameweek 2-9
However, once the Hammers fixtures ease (they sit top of the ticker between Gameweeks 10-17), could Ward-Prowse become a serious FPL option?
If he takes penalties over Said Benrahma (£6.0m), which is by no means certain, plus free-kicks and corners, that’d be a start.
In fact, combining the best set-piece taker in the Premier League with a side that specialise at dead-ball situations could be a match made in heaven. West Ham scored 10 goals from corners last season, the fifth most in the Premier League, and ranked sixth for expected goals (xG) from set-plays.
So, adding Ward-Prowse’s deliveries to a squad that includes aerial threats like Kurt Zouma (£4.5m), Tomas Soucek (£5.0m) and Alvarez, potentially Harry Maguire (£4.5m) too, could make them even more dangerous from such situations.
Still, there are concerns.
If Ward-Prowse sits in a deeper midfield role alongside Alvarez, he will contribute more to the early phases in West Ham’s attacks, and his lack of penalty box action could hurt.
Even his assist potential may not be fully fulfilled, with Moyes’ centre-forward options currently consisting of Michail Antonio (£6.0m), Danny Ings (£6.0m) and youngster Divin Mubama (£4.5m). Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) could help ease those concerns, but even his production last season was down on the one before.
West Ham are getting a reliable, consistent player in Ward-Prowse, who is always available. Moyes likes to keep a settled side, too, yet the sheer number of midfielders on our Watchlists is also a good indication of how hard it’ll be for Ward-Prowse to work his way into FPL managers’ plans.
However, when the fixtures fall kindly, perhaps against a run of opponents who struggle defending set-pieces, he could become a differential option.
