West Ham are ready to explore a deal for Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse which could see Flynn Downes head in the opposite direction.
The Saints have been keen on Downes with the Championship club’s boss Russell Martin previously managing the 24-year-old midfielder at Swansea.
He signed for the Hammers last summer in a move worth £12million but David Moyes has been unsure whether Downes is ready to fill the void left by Declan Rice.
Ward-Prowse remains one of the names on West Ham’s long list of midfield targets – having also courted him last summer to no avail – though Southampton had valued their captain at £40m.