West Ham United have endured a tricky start back in the Championship, and with a two-week international break ahead and almost a third of the campaign gone, new head coach Scott Parker will be keen to stamp his authority at the London Stadium.

Following relegation to the Championship last season, West Ham have so far struggled to adjust to life back in the second tier.

Nuno Espírito Santo has been dismissed from his role as head coach after six wins, four draws, and three defeats in the league, as former midfielder and fan favourite Parker has since taken his place in the technical area.

Parker will gladly take this two-week break to assess the situation that he has walked into in East London, and may well be disenchanted by some of the transfer business his side conducted over the summer.

James Ward-Prowse returned to Southampton from West Ham United in the summer

It took West Ham a while to get up to speed in the transfer window over the summer, as new head of recruitment Nils Koppen, alongside former boss Nuno, spearheaded recruitment.

As Mateus Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville, and El Hadji Malick Diouf left the club for lucrative fees, the likes of Edvin Austbo, Joel Piroe, Manor Solomon, and Arne Engels arrived.

However, one of the more low-key outgoings over the summer was that of James Ward-Prowse, who returned to former club Southampton for a fee reported to have been less than £1 million, with the Hammers keen to get his wages off their books.

Ward-Prowse endured a rollercoaster of a spell in East London, as his time with the Hammers was made all the more difficult by Parker's predecessor.

Nuno Espírito Santo was not a fan of James Ward-Prowse

Ward-Prowse, 32, joined West Ham in the summer of 2023 for around £30 million following Southampton's relegation to the Championship, having previously made over 400 appearances for the Saints.

Signed by then-manager David Moyes, Ward-Prowse enjoyed an excellent first campaign with the Hammers, scoring seven and assisting seven in 37 Premier League games.

However, as Moyes left the following summer, his successor, Julen Lopetegui, quickly made it apparent he was no fan of the Englishman, as the midfielder was allowed to join Nottingham Forest on loan, then managed by Nuno.

Ward-Prowse would return to West Ham after just six months at the City Ground under the watch of Graham Potter, but as Nuno replaced the current Sweden men's national team boss in the summer of 2025, the 32-year-old found himself out of the fold with the Hammers once more, even being exiled from training sessions.

In total, Ward-Prowse has made just 12 appearances under Nuno, as the Portuguese head coach, for whatever reason, never took to the midfielder, who would spend the second half of last season on loan at Burnley under a familiar face.

Scott Parker will hate Nuno Espírito Santo's decision to sell James Ward-Prowse to Southampton

When Parker assesses his current West Ham squad, the former England midfielder will be largely pleased with the current makeup of it, though it won't have taken him long to identify areas with much-needed attention.

Though Engels looks to be an excellent addition in the middle of the park, Parker now has the task of striking the right balance in that area of the pitch, with Divine Mukasa, Tomáš Souček, Soungoutou Magassa, Mohamadou Kante, and Lewis Orford each vying for a place in the starting XI.

The former Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley boss is certainly not short of options, though whether he is a fan of any remains to be seen, as what is clear is that he is indeed a fan of Ward-Prowse, having brought the midfielder to Burnley in January 2026.

The Englishman made 14 appearances under Parker across all competitions in less than six months at Turf Moor, more than he has ever made under Nuno, as the new head coach must rue the Portuguese's decision to sell him now.

Do you think Ward-Prowse would have a positive impact at West Ham right now under Parker, or was it the right decision to sell him back to Southampton? Share your thoughts below!

James Ward-Prowse is thriving back at Southampton after a nightmare West Ham United spell

Since returning to Southampton, Ward-Prowse has quickly cemented himself as one of the first names on Tonda Eckert's team sheet amid competition from the likes of Flynn Downes, Casper Jander, and Cameron Bragg, albeit Jander has struggled with injury.

With one goal and one assist in 13 Championship games back for his boyhood club, Ward-Prowse will firmly have his sights set on promotion with Southampton, and having already got one over his former club this campaign, will be loving life back on the South Coast.

Parker, meanwhile, must surely regret his side's decision to part ways with the Englishman, especially for such a minimal fee, as there is every chance he could've been one of the first names on the team sheet for the Hammers instead.