‘It wouldn’t surprise me’ – Trusted reporter claims Southampton man could leave amid PL interest

According to Alex Crook of Give Me Sport, Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters

could be the target of Chelsea given West Ham’s interest.

In the Championship table, Southampton is presently ranked third. The Saints are aiming for a top two finish as Russell

Martin’s team closes down on Ipswich Town.

Although Southampton looks to be in complete control right now and a top six

finish seems to be the very least they will accomplish this season, the Championship top six race is very close.

 

The 26-year-old Walker-Peters has made 27 Championship appearances for the

Saints this year, helping the defense to score four goals.

Before Southampton was relegated last season, he spent a couple seasons in the

Premier League after moving to the south coast from Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Journalist Crook has now stated in an interview with Give Me Sport that he

does not see the fullback signing a new contract on the south coast and that

Chelsea may compete with West Ham for his services. He declared:

 

“Walker-Peters does not appear to be in the process of signing a new deal. They

probably assumed that Premier League interest would be higher than it was

throughout the summer. They received not one bid.

 

“A few weeks ago, I brought up West Ham’s interest, as they are undoubtedly

in need of right-back protection. Reece James’s Chelsea could even get involved.

“He can play at right and left-back, which would be ideal with Ben Chilwell spending time on the sidelines. It wouldn’t surprise me if somebody tries to get Walker-Peters before the end of the window.”

No cause for concern

Southampton did well in the summer, they lost a few key players as every relegated side does but they used the money well and they’re in a position where it seems promotion is a real probability.

Martin has done well to turn his side’s fortunes around after a shaky start to proceedings and with them sitting just three points outside the automatic promotion spots fans should be optimistic about their chances.

Although Walker-Peters, 26, has enjoyed his time at the Saints, the team needs to support him in finding a suitable replacement should he decide to depart.

 

Whether anything changes on that front between now and the deadline on January 31st will be intriguing to watch.

 

Southampton’s next match is an early kickoff this Saturday against Swansea City, which will take place in Wales.