Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters is likely to depart St Marys this summer, with the Saints now reportedly naming their asking price.
A lot of talk and interest has surrounded the future of Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who was ‘integral’ in their Play-Off winning campaign last term.
The 27-year-old has entered the final year of his contract at St Marys, meaning Russell Martin will have to sell this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2025.
It would be terrible business for Southampton to allow the latter to happen, as the talented Englishman commands a sizeable fee, despite the terms of his current contract.
West Ham are the side who have shown the most interest in the attacking right-back, and although no bid has officially been launched, Walker-Peters has previously said ‘yes’ to joining the Hammers, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Southampton name clear asking price for Kyle Walker-Peters
Southampton signed Walker-Peters from Tottenham for £12 million in the summer of 2020 and since then, he’s made 167 appearances for the Saints, scoring six and assisting nine.
In a difficult period for the club during their relegation campaign, the former England under-21 international was a rare shining light, while in the Championship, he was inarguably the best right-back in the division.
With his contract close to expiring, the defender could now be looking for a fresh start and a return to the city where he’s from, London, is very appealing.
According to The Times, Southampton have slapped a £20 million asking price on Walker-Peters, the same as what Manchester United are asking for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with both players contracts expiring in 2025.
The report reads: ‘West Ham had also been quoted £20million for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 26, from Manchester United, and Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, 27, who are both in the final year of their contracts.’
Selling Walker-Peters for £20 million would be solid business
Although Walker-Peters is entering the final year of his contract, the Saints are still holding out for a £8 million profit on the player by placing a £20 million asking price on his head.
It would be a catastrophe to see him leave for nothing next summer and as seen with Che Adams, Southampton will want to avoid complications over the player’s future by dealing with it now.
From West Ham’s point of view, they may be reluctant to pay £20m for a talent they could potentially sign for free next summer and could fancy playing the long game instead.
Therefore, receiving that much money for him would be a solid piece of business, as while it’s undoubtedly a big loss to the club, the only other option is letting him leave for nothing.
That is a situation they’ll want to avoid and explains why they’ve named a relatively high price tag, underscoring his importance to Martin.
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