With the Gameweek 4 deadline just around the corner, we shine a spotlight on new West Ham signing James Ward-Prowse (£6.0m), who has hit the ground running for the Hammers and could prove a lucrative FPL asset in this latest round of fixtures.
For many years, James Ward-Prowse had been a star of Southampton’s midfield, his creativity and set piece prowess having provided his team with plenty of goals and assists. His final two years at the Saints saw him score ten Premier League goals in 2021-22, before following that up with nine goals in 2022-23. Unfortunately though, his contributions weren’t enough to save Southampton from relegation.
It was obvious that a player of Ward-Prowse’s class wasn’t going to see him out the Premier League for long and West Ham made their move, signing the 28-year-old in August for a reported fee of around £30m. Despite having only played two matches for his new club, Ward-Prowse has already made his mark.
His debut at home to Chelsea in Gameweek 2 saw him record two assists in a 3-1 victory for David Moyes’ side, recording 9 FPL points in this process. But this wasn’t just a flash in the pan, as Ward-Prowse backed this up with his first ever West Ham goal the following weekend in Gameweek 3. Arriving in the box to force home a rebound, he underlined his attacking potential further, accruing 6 fantasy points as West Ham triumphed 1-3 away at Brighton.
Next up for Ward-Prowse and West Ham is another away fixture in Gameweek 4, this time at Luton, who have conceded seven goals in just two Premier League games so far this season. You’d expect Ward-Prowse to be on all set-pieces for his side and also be afforded lots of offensive freedom in open play. With an ownership percentage that has just reached 5%, those FPL managers who choose to bring in Ward-Prowse for Gameweek 4 are set to make big gains if he picks up any further attacking returns.
