James Ward-Prowse is a Southampton legend through and through. He might just be the best midfielder, or at least one of the best midfielders, the Saints have ever seen.
So, it was bittersweet to see him leave for pastures new. Obviously, every Saints fan expected to see him sign for a different club. This is just part and parcel of being a Southampton fan in the 21st century, but it didn't make the blow any easier to take.
One would assume that, given how poorly the Saints have been run without JWP, he wouldn't look back. However, he's at a severely underachieving club that he might not even get minutes for.
Nuno Espirito Santo is the new manager of West Ham United, and he's not wasting any time in making changes. One of those changes was to remove James Ward-Prowse from the squad in time to face Everton.
To remove JWP from the squad is a real statement of intent from Nuno. Now, JWP has two options: He fights hard for his spot, or he seeks a new club in January. Naturally, the question becomes - How about Southampton?
The real reason why Southampton can't save James Ward-Prowse
If we're being completely honest, JWP returning to Southampton in January is unrealistic.
Despite being a Saints legend, he jumped ship at the first real opportunity he got. He has shown that he isn't ready to play in the Championship, so his ego slightly gets in the way there. This makes even a loan move back to St. Mary's unrealistic.
Then, we need to address the elephant in the room. Ward-Prowse is on way too much money. We shouldn't expect him to take a pay cut to join a club in a lower league. While it's a fairytale story, this is his career, and he doesn't need to do that.
Anyway, Southampton has a pretty good midfield. It's probably the one area of the pitch that Will Still doesn't see the need to improve any further.
In a dream world, JWP would still be playing for Southampton. Given what's happened with his new manager, it might even be his dream world.
However, the past is best left in the past. There's a reason why he left us, and that's the reason why he shouldn't (and, let's face it, wouldn't) come back.