Southampton manager Russell Martin could well be boosted in his efforts to keep one of his best players as a club that have been pushing to sign Kyle Walker-Peters appear to be exploring other options.
Southampton have completed arguably their most important piece of business of the summer already, with the £18 million arrival of Flynn Downes this week always Russell Martin‘s priority.
Despite the fact the Saints have already made seven signings this summer, there are still a number of areas of the squad that require improvement.
That is before you consider the possibility of high-profile departures and one player who has been linked with a move away this summer is Southampton’s sole representative in the EFL Championship Team of the Season last campaign, Kyle Walker-Peters.
Walker-Peters has entered the final year of his contract and this, combined with his impressive displays in the Championship, has piqued the interest of a number of clubs.
West Ham United – who have just sold Downes to Southampton – have been the club acting most on their interest but a new update may just give fans hope they can keep Walker-Peters this summer.
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West Ham ‘target’ Kyle Walker-Peters alternative
Earlier in the summer it was reported that West Ham and Southampton were in discussions regarding a potential swap deal involving Walker-Peters and Downes.
This scenario had Saints fans worried, as it appeared West Ham held all the cards given Walker-Peters’ contract situation and Martin’s desperation to sign Downes.
Now that Southampton have confirmed the signing of Downes, they can rest assured that a move for the 25-year-old was not contingent on Walker-Peters going the other way.
Now, the St Mary’s club have received another boost, as West Ham are eyeing a move for another player with a year left on their current deal in Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
That is according to The Telegraph, who report that the ‘FA Cup-winning full-back is a target for [West Ham manager] Julen Lopetegui but the signing from Crystal Palace may prefer to leave as a free agent next year’.
The report goes on to say that ‘West Ham United are among the clubs who are showing interest in Manchester United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka’ and that United are expecting him to ‘generate significant interest’ which could see them decide to cash in this summer.
United paid Crystal Palace £50 million to sign Wan-Bissaka in 2019 but are unlikely to recoup anywhere near that fee and he could be viewed as better value than Walker-Peters by West Ham.
Interest in Walker-Peters likely to continue through the summer
Whilst this is undoubtedly positive news for Martin and Southampton, it by no means guarantees Walker-Peters ends the transfer window a Saint.
Former club Tottenham Hotspur remain interested, as do Brighton.
Both clubs could be tempting for the twice-capped England international and the reality is that, unless Walker-Peters signs a new deal, speculation over his future will continue all summer.
Southampton are keen to avoid allowing players to enter the final years of their deal as Che Adams’ situation this summer has highlighted how complicated that can make matters.
- READ MORE: Southampton may have dropped massive hint over future of Che Adams as pre-season footage emerges
Therefore, it is likely that Southampton will be forced to consider any reasonable offers for Walker-Peters this summer and the signing of fellow right-back Yukinari Sugawara suggests they have planned for the possibility of an exit.