It is not just incomings that Russell Martin has to worry about at Southampton before the end of the transfer window but the potential of losing one of his key players too.
That is because Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters has been the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer.
Much of this owes to the fact Walker-Peters has now entered the final year of his Southampton contract, with the club keen to avoid losing a valuable asset for free next summer.
This is exactly the situation the club had to deal with this close-season, as Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong both left at the end of their deals meaning the Saints didn’t receive a single penny for their departures.
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Russell Martin reveals Southampton have offered Kyle Walker-Peters a new deal
West Ham United are the club who have held the most concrete interest in Walker-Peters this summer, with the defender even said to have given the Hammers assurances he wanted to make the switch.
However, West Ham signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to see their interest diminish.
That does not mean Southampton can bank on Walker-Peters remaining at the club come the end of August though, as Brighton could revive their interest and Tottenham Hotspur could pursue a deal after selling Emerson Royal to AC Milan.
Russell Martin handed Walker-Peters his first minutes of pre-season against Getafe on Saturday to prepare him to face Newcastle United in the Premier League opener this weekend.
The 27-year-old had not featured previously despite being fit all summer due to the speculation surrounding his future, but with the season so close Martin needed to get the player up to speed given he is currently still a Saint.
Now, Martin has revealed in an interview with TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook on Wednesday afternoon that the club have offered Walker-Peters a new contract with hopes it could see him commit his future to the St Mary’s club.
Crook posted on ‘X’: “Russell Martin confirmed Saints have offered Kyle Walker-Peters a new contract but says they are ‘nowhere near a deal’ for Ryan Fraser and ‘not in the race right now’ for Matt O’Riley.”
Martin would love Walker-Peters to stay at Southampton this season
Walker-Peters was pivotal as Southampton secured a return to the Premier League at the first attempt last season.
The full-back was the Saints’ sole representative in the EFL Championship Team of the Season and looked a cut above the rest of the division on a near-weekly basis.
Twice capped by England, there is no doubting that Walker-Peters is one of Southampton’s best players and most clubs in the top flight would love to have him in their ranks.
Whilst Martin has not put any pressure on the player publicly to commit his future to the club, he will be desperate to be able to call on Walker-Peters in what will be a difficult campaign.
He has become renowned for his marauding runs down the flanks and did this to brilliant effect last November before cutting onto his weaker left foot and firing a strike past a helpless Bristol City goalkeeper in a 1-0 win.
That goal led to Martin describing Walker-Peters as a “beautiful footballer” before adding: “He can score more and assist more. It’s a brilliant, brilliant goal.”
Southampton will be bracing themselves for offers for Walker-Peters as the window edges towards its conclusion, but Walker-Peters could give the club a real boost by extending his contract.