Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League last season and suffered relegation in the process, but managed to retain some key players despite dropping to the Championship.
Whilst it was a busy summer at St Mary’s, with Russell Martin appointed as manager and a huge squad overhaul, a number of players who will feel they are Premier League level have had to accept that they will be Championship players until at least January.
The likes of Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong, Jan Bednarek and Kamaldeen Sulemana are all international players who find themselves forming part of Southampton’s push for an instant return to the top flight, all to varying degrees of success.
Southampton are currently on a run of 14 Championship games unbeaten, and went level on points with Leeds United in third by beating Blackburn Rovers 4-0 in their last game. A number of players new and old have been impressive, but there is one player in particular who seems to be really enjoying himself for Martin’s side this season.
Kyle Walker-Peters having fun in the Championship
In a summer that saw James Ward-Prowse, Roméo Lavia, Tino Livramento and Mohammed Salisu all leave the club, perhaps the biggest surprise of the summer was that Kyle Walker-Peters remained a Southampton player.
The 26-year-old twice capped by England saw the club rebut any interest directed towards him and opt instead to sell fellow right-back Livramento whilst being adamant than Walker-Peters would remain at the club. In a summer where many players were desperately seeking an exit from the club, feeling they were too good to play in England’s second division despite playing their part in relegation, Walker-Peters remained professional throughout.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur man has embraced the Championship and seems to be loving the attacking freedom he is given by a manager who has a keen focus on keeping the ball.
Dougie Critchley of Sky Sports and Football Daily highlighted on ‘X’ just how good Walker-Peters has been in an attacking sense this season, drawing attention to the fact that the full-back ranks first in the Championship for progressive passes and carries into the final third, second for progressive carries and passes into the penalty area, and sixth for passes into the final third.
When you consider Walker-Peters is a defender, these really are quite remarkable statistics. His defensive work is generally solid too, but it is going forward where Walker-Peters really comes into his own and, as Critchley says: “That’s a very good Premier League player finding it very easy!”
Will Walker-Peters stay at Southampton in January?
Despite a number of Southampton players enjoying very good seasons, it would be difficult to argue that Walker-Peters has not been the Saints’ player of the season so far.
Unfortunately for Southampton, though, performances of this level do not go unnoticed and fans will be bracing themselves for a January transfer window where interest in Walker-Peters intensifies. West Ham United have already been linked, with Talksport reporting their interest earlier this month, and they will not be the only club tempted to make Southampton an offer.
Southampton do not need to sell in January and, despite their Championship status, they will not allow Premier Clubs to bully them into compromising on price. Transfermarkt estimates Walker-Peters’ value to be around the £17.3 million mark but, given the man with two goals and two assists this season has played every minute of every league game this season and that the club sold fellow full-back Livramento for £40 million in the summer, it is likely the Southampton hierarchy would demand closer to £30 million for his services.
Walker-Peters’ manager is certainly optimistic that he will retain the defender’s services until at least the end of the season, answering “Yeah, I think so”, when asked if Walker-Peters will stay at the club in January, before adding: “We need to get promoted to the Premier League and then he will be really happy. If we don’t, I’m sure there will be interest”.
The statistics don’t lie, Southampton have one of the best players in the Championship in Walker-Peters and whether he remains at the club will have a huge influence on whether the Saints can successfully secure promotion at the first attempt this season. If a Premier League club do wish to prise Walker-Peters away from Southampton next month then it certainly won’t come cheap.