West Ham are ready to offer a mega sum to sign an English midfielder from a Championship club.

The Hammers are prepared to put in a bid of £25 million for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

Per The Mail, West Ham will be spending roughly a quarter of the fee they receive for Declan Rice from Arsenal on Ward-Prowse.

The Hammers know they need to ensure they are properly replacing their talisman when he leaves.

Ward-Prowse had been expecting to garner a lot of interest, with the Saints holding out for a fee of £40 million.

However, West Ham are the only club willing to pay a big fee, which means Southampton will have to settle on a lower price.