Southampton manager Russell Martin has made his stance on selling Kyle Walker-Peters this summer clear.
The right-back made a move to St Mary’s from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022.
Kyle Walker-Peters has since cemented himself as a key figure in the Southampton backline.
However, the defender is now in the final year of his Saints contract and question marks have arisen over his future amid interest from elsewhere in the current transfer window.
West Ham United were linked with Walker-Peters at the end of June.
Fabrizio Romano then provided an update on the Southampton right-back, suggesting West Ham could swap Ben Johnson for Walker-Peters.
Following interest from the Hammers, Southampton have set a price-tag of £20m for the defender.
Now, a fresh update on the 27-year-old’s situation on the South Coast has been provided.
Russell Martin makes stance on Kyle Walker-Peters transfer clear
Southampton have been one of the most active clubs in the Premier League transfer market this summer.
The Saints are aiming to stave off relegation after winning the play-off final in May and have not been shy about signing new players.
11 first-team players have already arrived at the club in the current window. Ben Brereton Diaz is Southampton’s latest signing.
With all the incomings, some players have and are expected to depart before deadline day on August 30th.
As for Walker-Peters, Rusell Martin has made his stance on his sale clear in a recent interview with Sky Sports News.
He said: “We have lots of interest in him, as we did last summer and then Kyle ended up staying, maybe to the surprise of everyone, myself included.
“If someone comes in and meets the club’s valuation then maybe it’s time, best for everyone that Kyle goes in and plays elsewhere and if not, I hope that we have the same Kyle last year in terms of attitude and application and he can really help us.”
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Southampton will struggle to replace Kyle Walker-Peters
Walker-Peters made 47 appearances across all competitions for Southampton in 2023/24.
He was one of their standout stars en route to promotion, scoring three and assisting three.
At present, the Saints do not have another right-back close to his quality in their squad.
Yukinari Sugawara joined the club in the current window but his ability to perform in the Premier League is still up in the air.
Walker-Peters, on the other hand, has proven himself in the top flight with Southampton and Tottenham.
Should Martin and co. agree to let him go, they may have a hard time finding a player of similar quality.