West Ham are lining up moves for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Leeds United’s Tyler Adams, according to the Daily Mail.

The Hammers agreed a £105 million deal to sell Declan Rice to Arsenal last week and passed a medical on Friday but a hold up with Arsenal’s lawyers supposedly has meant the deal is yet to be officially completed.

West Ham are waiting for the Rice deal to go through before making bids for new players but when the transfer does eventually go through, their attention will reportedly turn to the Southampton and Leeds midfielders.

Ward-Prowse has been high up on David Moyes’ wish list for the past few transfer windows and given Southampton’s relegation to the Championship, a cut price bid for their captain looks likely.

West Ham value the 28-year-old at around £20 million whereas the Saints are expecting double that amount.However, the Hammers have a trump card to play in the shape of Flynn Downes, who Southampton boss Russell Martin is keen on reuniting with.

If Downes was to go the other way, Ward-Prowse’s fee would surely become more realistic.

West Ham’s other midfield target, Adams, is valued at £30 million by Leeds which again is steep for a relegated side but not unobtainable.

The 24-year-old was superb for Leeds in the middle of the park and was failed by the players surrounding him. He had an excellent game for the USA in their 0-0 draw against England during the World Cup in Qatar and could prove to be a very shrewd signing for Moyes.

With a bit of negotiation, both Ward-Prowes and Adams are realistic and good options for the Hammers going forwards. The Saints captain would be a great addition regardless, but his set pieces alone would be an invaluable weapon to have. Adams too would be a great signing and his aggressive ball winning mentality would give him the potential to become a bit of a cult hero in midfield.

If West Ham could sign the pair for £70 million or under, it could be an absolute master stroke.

Written by Jack Hobbs

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