West Ham fans are all saying the same thing after watching Saints against Arsenal but there’s some bad news.
The clock is now well and truly ticking on the moment Declan Rice leaves West Ham this summer.
As sad a prospect as that is for the Hammers it is the reality of football as the skipper goes in search of the Champions League football and top trophies West Ham simply cannot deliver.
There is genuine hope and belief that Rice can leave West Ham in the best and most fitting way – by helping the club lift their first major trophy since 1980 and qualify for next season’s Europa League in the process.
With the side edging ever closer to securing Premier League safety, work is already well underway behind the scenes at West Ham to line up Rice’s replacement.
In truth a host of new signings will be needed with further departures on the cards. The Hammers also have decisions on a host of ageing players such as Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski.
There have been reports that David Moyes will move to sign Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse as one of Rice’s replacements.
West Ham fans are all saying the same thing after watching Saints against Arsenal but there’s some bad news
That could be a great fit and could add 15-20 goals a season from his free-kicks, penalties and set-piece assists.
But it was two of Ward-Prowse’s Southampton teammates that caught the eye when Hammers supporters watched their relegation rivals play out a 3-3 draw with the Gunners on Friday night.
West Ham fans are all saying the same thing after watching Saints against Arsenal but there’s some bad news.
One look at West Ham circles on social media or on fan forums shows many feel Southampton’s outstanding 19-year-old central midfielder Romeo Lavia would be a brilliant defensive midfield replacement for Rice.
With Fabianski approaching his swansong – be it this year or next – West Ham fans have also been seriously impressed by Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu as well.
Both players were very good when West Ham secured a narrow win over Southampton at the start of the month.
So their impressive performances away at Arsenal only underlined their talent further.
Savvy Man City have buy-back clauses on both – but there’s a glimmer of hope if Hammers did target Saints stars
Belgian midfield ace Lavia models his game on Sergio Busquets and it’s clear for all to see in his play.
Bazunu is Ireland’s number one goalkeeper and replaced former West Ham back-up stopper Darren Randolph in that role.
Saints spent a combined £23m on both players only last summer. Now looking destined for the drop, it is likely their star performers – along with Ward-Prowse – will be sold.
That might excite West Ham fans imploring the club to try and sign the duo, but there’s some bad news.
Saints signed both players from Man City.
And Pep Guardiola only agreed to let them leave on the proviso Man City had buy-back clauses in the deals.
That means Manchester City effectively have first option on Lavia and Bazunu if and when they are sold by Southampton.
Speaking earlier this season, Guardiola revealed savvy Man City put buy-back clauses in for the likes of Bazunu and Lavia ‘in case they explode’.
Intriguing summer window on the cards
Playing regularly for West Ham and Southampton is a different matter entirely to getting game time at Man City, though.
And having tasted being regulars at Saints, the players will undoubtedly want to continue along that path wherever they end up.
There is better news if West Ham – and presumably a host of other clubs across Europe – want Lavia.
According to Goal, Man City’s £40m buy-back on him can only be used from 2024.
Although given Saints will likely drop and money is no object for Man City, they would almost certainly find a way around that if Guardiola did want him back.
Now if West Ham could sign both – and Ward-Prowse – then it really would start to take the edge off of losing our beloved Rice.
It’s certainly going to be an intriguing summer.
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