West Ham are looking to replace their ex-skipper Declan Rice, who moved to Arsenal this summer.
They have identified multiple candidates to restructure their midfield and recently relegated Southampton’s skipper Ward-Prowse has emerged as a top target.
Saints are said to be keen to get upwards of £30m for their skipper in the ongoing transfer window.
It has been suggested that West Ham have submitted a bid worth £25m in total for Ward-Prowse.
The clubs are negotiating the deal and it is claimed that Saints could well take a player from West Ham as part of the agreement.
Downes is the player in question and he could move to Southampton on either a loan or a permanent deal, compensating somewhat for the loss of Ward-Prowse.
Ward-Prowse was a shining spark in relegated Southampton’s midfield last season, where he made 13 goal contributions in 38 league appearances and multiple Premier League clubs have shown interest in him.
Now it remains to be seen if the Europa Conference League winners will include Downes plus cash to bring Ward-Prowse back to the top flight of English football.
