The club might still be down in the Premier League relegation zone, but there is some renewed optimism around West Ham United at the moment.
New boss Nuno Espírito Santo has only been in the dugout a few weeks and already seems to be making an impact.
The fightback away to Everton is just one, and he has also clearly made the decision that James Ward-Prowse is no longer needed.
The Englishman might not be the only one on borrowed time, though.
Ward-Prowse’s West Ham career is finished
When West Ham splashed around £30m to sign Ward-Prowse from Southampton in the summer of 2023, there was a fair bit of excitement among the fanbase, and understandably so.
After all, here was a massively experienced Premier League star who had played for England and was, at the time, arguably the best set-piece taker in the country, so much so that there were constant comparisons between his record and David Beckham’s.
However, while there were certainly positives from his first season in East London, notably his final tally of seven goals and 12 assists in 51 games, things began to go wrong last season, as new boss Julen Lopetegui sent him on what was supposed to be a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest.
Yet, with the then-Forest boss Nuno clearly not fancying the Englishman, he returned to the capital in February of this year with just ten appearances for the Tricky Trees under his belt.
Things would only get worse from there, as while Graham Potter seemed intent on playing the 30-year-old as often as possible, it was crystal clear that he was no longer up to the job.
By the start of this season, the Portsmouth-born star wasn’t remotely effective at the defensive side of the game and found it increasingly difficult to create any attacking chances for the side.
So when Nuno was appointed, it felt like a matter of when and not if the 11-capped ace was frozen out of the squad, and it didn’t take long at all, with the Portuguese coach leaving him out of his first squad entirely.
It’s now clear that Ward-Prowse will have to leave the club in January if he wants to play a significant amount of football this season, and another West Ham player could face a similar situation if he does not improve quickly.
The next West Ham star who could get the Ward-Prowse treatment
There are, unfortunately, a few West Ham players who should probably get the Ward-Prowse treatment, like Niclas Füllkrug when he’s fit again and maybe even Mads Hermansen.
However, as things stand, the player who looks most likely to be frozen out of the squad over the coming months is Jean-Clair Todibo.
Similar to the Englishman, there was plenty of excitement in the fanbase when it was announced that the Frenchman would be moving to the London Stadium on loan with an option to buy, as he was seen as a star in the making by many.
In fact, respected talent Scout Jacek Kulig went as far as describing the former OGC Nice gem as the “complete package” and “one of the most underrated CBs in Europe” at one point.
However, the Hammers faithful haven’t really been able to see that player.
Todibo’s West Ham Career
Season
24/25
25/26
Appearances
29
3
Starts
22
3
Minutes
1968′
213′
Points per Game
1.38
0.00
Even though his talent is undeniable, he made just 29 appearances across all competitions last season, and this year, he’s only made three, totalling 213 minutes.
Worse yet, while some of those absences have been down to fitness issues, there have been reports of him having a poor attitude in training and around the club.
This would explain the recent instances of Nuno taking him out of the squads entirely, as he did with Ward-Prowse.
Ultimately, with Todibo still being just 25, there is time for him to turn things around. However, considering how much football he missed last season and the fact that he was recently dropped from the team, the most likely conclusion is that he will leave in January.
