Southampton transfer news latest: Walker-Peters/Arsenal news, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Luca Kerber | OneFootball

It has been a turbulent summer for Southampton, as they look to build a squad that can win promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The decision to appoint Russell Martin was a bold one, with the former Swansea chief bringing a clear style of play that would need buy-in from all connected to the club.

The early signs are positive on that front, but it’s clear that a lot more work needs to be done in terms of recruitment ahead of the deadline.

A constant issue for the Saints boss all summer has also been who he will be able to keep.

The departures of James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia felt inevitable, with the duo bringing in over £75m in sales, which will surely help when it comes to bringing in quality ahead of the deadline.

It still feels as though there’s a lot of activity to be done involving Southampton before September 1, and here we provide the latest on the transfer front:

The German international suffered a hamstring injury against Nottingham Forest towards the end of last season which has kept him out, but that hasn’t stopped talk about his future.

Saints paid around €10m to bring the defender in from Bochum, and it’s thought they want €25m to let him go this summer, such is the potential of Bella-Kotchap.

Borussia Dortmund are known to be admiring the player, but the latest update from Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath suggests this is one that could run for a while yet. That’s after he revealed the Bundesliga side will need to move players on in order to fund the signing of the centre-back.

Luca Kerber emerges as transfer target

With Ward-Prowse and Lavia having moved on, you would expect Southampton to be in the market for at least one central midfielder, and the Daily Mail have claimed that Saarbrucken’s Luca Kerber is on their radar.

The 21-year-old is currently playing in the third tier of German football, but his performances have caught attention from clubs across the continent at higher levels, so it seems inevitable he will be on the move.

It is said that the German outfit want £850,000 for their bright talent.

An injury to Jurrien Timber has prompted speculation that Arsenal could turn to Kyle Walker-Peters, with the reliable full-back someone capable of fulfilling the tactical demands that Mikel Arteta has for that role.

But, having raised over £120m from the sales of Lavia, Ward-Prowse and Tino Livramento, TalkSPORT has revealed that the Championship side are not under pressure to sell.

Therefore, it’s going to take a substantial bid to take the versatile defender away from St. Mary’s Stadium.

Everton stepping up Che Adams pursuit

Che Adams is one player that does seem likely to move on ahead of the deadline.

The striker has entered the final 12 months of his contract with the club, so they know this is the last chance to get a decent fee for the player, instead of potentially losing him on a free next year.

Everton are the club that seem to be pushing hardest to get a deal done, with reports indicating they will pay around £12m to land the attacker.