Nottingham Forest have opted to send back James Ward-Prowse after the midfielder made 10 appearances for the club during the first half of the season.
Ward-Prowse has only started a 2-0 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup since October. As a result, Graham Potter has opted to request that he return to The London Stadium so he can assess him.
Ward-Prowse checked in at Forest on transfer deadline day from the Hammers during the summer. He had fallen out of favour under Julen Lopetegui and saw the City Ground as a destination where he’d play football.
The player renowned for scoring free-kicks hasn’t really produced the goods at Forest, however. He was sent off against Chelsea in October and has started just once in the Premier League since then.
The real reason why James Ward-Prowse has returned to West Ham
Ward-Prowse wasn’t playing and a return to his parent club does make perfect sense. However, the real reason has been revealed in an article from reputable Forest correspondent John Percy at The Telegraph.
He’s claimed that Nuno Espirito Santo has been happy to make this call with Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo now both back available after featuring in the 7-0 win over Brighton at the weekend.
Largely it was anticipated that the decision might have been merely made based on game time. However, the squad is well-stocked and it would appear that all parties have agreed on this coming to fruition.
Ward-Prowse scored seven goals and claimed 10 assists for West Ham last season. His set pieces cause havoc to the best of teams and now he will hope to force his way into the Hammers team once again.
Ward-Prowse the right player at the wrong time for Forest
It’s a real shame that this deal hasn’t worked out. Charlie Austin has hailed Ward-Prowse having played with him and suggests he’s more than just a set piece merchant.
Ultimately, with Espirito Santo’s system focusing heavily on a two-man midfield, there’s an argument that he simply demands more from his midfield player than what Ward-Prowse has proved capable of.
There have been positive performances by Ward-Prowse at Forest. He was brilliant in the 1-0 win over Liverpool, whilst he was arguably the Man of the Match in the cup win over Luton in January.
In any of the other two campaigns that Forest have spent in the Premier League since promotion, Ward-Prowse might have proved useful. Sadly for him, he’s never been able to convince Espirito Santo that he’s worthy of a regular starting berth and letting him go back is the best solution for everyone.
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