Kyle Walker-Peters issues Southampton transfer admission

There was plenty of interest in the right-back this summer, but Walker-Peters ended up staying with the Saints.
Russell Martin hasn’t had the ideal start to life as Southampton head coach, with good work in August being undone by two heavy defeats to Sunderland and Leicester City.

The Saints squad now looks very different to the one that finished the 2022-23 season, with some big departures during the summer transfer window – most notably long-serving captain James Ward-Prowse.

 

One player who ended up remaining at the club though, despite interest from elsewhere, was Kyle Walker-Peters.

Clubs were keen on the England international right-back, who played twice for the Three Lions in 2022, with Tom Barclay claiming that Fulham, Lens and AS Roma were all in the mix.

Newcastle United also showed some interest before they instead landed another Saints full-back in the form of Valentino Livramento, but the transfer deadline on September 1 came and went without Walker-Peters completing a move.

He is now set to be an important part of Martin’s squad, with his only real competition at right-back coming in the form of James Bree.

 

What has Kyle Walker-Peters said about potential Southampton exit?

The aforementioned interest in Walker-Peters’ services was confirmed by the man himself, but he has insisted that he never pushed to depart St Mary’s Stadium over the summer and has reaffirmed his commitment

“Of course, I was aware that there was a lot of interest,” Walker-Peters told the Daily Echo.

 

“I’m not someone who was going to try and force my way out or have things put in the media. That’s not my style.

 

“I came in and spoke to the manager on day one and I got to work. I worked as hard as I could to learn the gaffer’s new style.

 

“I’m really enjoying working with him. My main focus is on Southampton and getting the club back into the Premier League. Hopefully we can do that.

 

“First and foremost, I love Southampton,” the defender continued, when asked if his early conversations with Martin convinced him to stay.

 

“With the new gaffer coming in, he was excellent with me. He was excellent with everyone actually.

 

“He has implemented his style really well. I’m enjoying it. The focus for myself and everyone in the dressing room is to try and get back into the Premier League.”

 

What is Kyle Walker-Peters’ current situation with Southampton?

Walker-Peters is still on his original contract that he signed in 2020 – a five-year deal was agreed and that means with an expiration date of June 2025, the full-back has less than two years remaining on his time at the Saints.

 

That means when the January transfer window rolls around, Southampton will be in no rush to cash in on the 26-year-old – depending on the club’s position in the table at the time though there could be some unhappiness from the player’s side if they aren’t in or around the top six.

 

Walker-Peters though, on paper, is one of the best right-backs in the Championship and the clubs that were interested in him over the summer just show how it’s a surprise that he’s still in the second tier – there will almost surely be a keenness from top flight outfits in January though to try and bring him in.