A top club insider has claimed West Ham are in talks with Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Southampton about deals.
The January transfer window often throws up some unusual scenarios and rumours.
It seems West Ham are at the centre of an early one involving high-flying Nottingham Forest and the lowly Saints.
Lines of communication between the three clubs are well established after deals involving them in the summer window.
West Ham sold Flynn Downes to Southampton for around £18m before loaning them Maxwell Cornet on deadline day.
As the Hammers put the finishing touches to an exciting window by making nine signings worth over £155m, they sent James Ward-Prowse out on loan to Nottingham Forest too.
It is fair to say the results have been pretty disastrous for all concerned, though.
Cornet has made just two starts in all competitions and made only four appearances in total for Southampton.
That’s despite the Saints being desperately poor.
Ward-Prowse, who contributed 18 goals and assists for West Ham last season after joining in a £30m deal, has not fared much better.
West Ham address leak about talks with Forest and Saints
The midfielder has started just five Premier League games for Forest and their fans have been highly critical of his performances.
With Nuno Espirito Santo’s side flying high in third place at the halfway stage of the season, Ward-Prowse’s prospects of increased game time anytime soon look bleak.
As a result rumours have abound that both Ward-Prowse and Cornet could return to West Ham early in January.
Now West Ham have addressed a leak that they are in talks with Nottingham Forest and Southampton over the deals.
Top Hammers insider Sean Whetstone has claimed that Ward-Prowse and Cornet could return from loans in January.
But he stated the likelihood is that West Ham will still seek fresh players to inject more pace into midfield.
Both deals were announced by West Ham, Forest and Southampton as season-long loans with no set option or obligation to buy.
The inference is that both players could have their loans cut short to return to east London.
Hammers News has reached out to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners about the situation.
Hammers respond to Ward-Prowse and Cornet claim
We put it to the top senior London Stadium contact whether the leak about Ward-Prowse and Cornet potentially returning from Nottingham Forest and Southampton respectively was true.
The spokesman for West Ham’s owners issued a blunt statement in response.
“James Ward-Prowse and Maxwel Cornet can’t return under contract,” a West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.
That means there is no chance of a return to the Hammers fold for the duo.
Whether their deals with Forest and Saints can be cancelled so they can go out on loan elsewhere is not clear.
Many Hammers fans have suggested Ward-Prowse coming back may have been useful given the team’s struggles in midfield.
But there is no chance of that happening, as confirmed by West Ham themselves.
It would have painted a sorry picture of the club’s summer business if they went crawling back to Ward-Prowse and Cornet.
Realistically with everyone fit neither gets into West Ham’s team anyway.
The Hammers have confirmed they need to raise money through sales or new investment to make signings having reached their PSR limit.
Southampton boss Ivan Juric has confirmed the plan is for Cornet’s loan to be cancelled early.
But as stated by West Ham, neither he or Ward-Prowse can come back to the club under contract and will therefore have to secure moves elsewhere.
The club will also be looking to the loan market with David Sullivan taking back ultimate control of transfers.
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