Football League World
·9 May 2024
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·9 May 2024
Tottenham are interested in bringing Kyle Walker-Peters back to the club as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract with Southampton.
The 27-year-old came through the ranks at Spurs, and he would go on to make 24 appearances for the club before he moved to Saints, initially on loan in January 2020, with the deal made permanent in that summer for around £12m.
Since then, he has gone on to play over 150 times for Southampton, and he has generally been a sound performer, even though he was part of the side that suffered relegation last season.
Despite his pedigree, Walker-Peters stuck around at St. Mary’s in the Championship, and he has been a key performer for Russell Martin, helping the team to the play-offs.
So, his only focus will be on helping Saints back to the Premier League, with their semi-final first leg against West Brom this weekend, where he is sure to start for Martin’s side at right-back.
Beyond that, though, there are doubts about the future of the England international, as TalkSPORT has revealed that Spurs are keen on bringing Walker-Peters back to north London, as they look to add more depth and quality to the squad.
“Tottenham are considering re-signing Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters – four years after selling him.
“Versatile Walker-Peters fits the profile of the type of attack-minded full-back Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou wants to recruit as cover for Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie.
“Walker-Peters, 27, is out of contract at the end of next season and Saints will be forced to sell if they do not win promotion via the Championship play-offs.”
Whilst Porro and Udogie have impressed for Spurs this season, there have been real problems for the side when they’ve been absent.
So, Walker-Peters’ ability to play down both flanks, his composure on the ball, and his recovery pace, make him someone who should be suited to the specific style of play that the ex-Celtic chief adopts.
Unsurprisingly, Southampton’s summer plans are going to depend on whether they win promotion to the Premier League or not.
As the update outlines, his contract situation means that Saints are almost certainly going to cash in on the player if they don’t go up, as they will not want to lose him on a free in 12 months' time.
Equally so, promotion won’t guarantee he stays, but the club are more likely to agree an extension with Walker-Peters if they are in the top-flight, otherwise they will have to consider a sale regardless.
So, this is one to monitor, but the defender will only be concentrating on the Albion fixture, and potentially a final, before he makes a call on his future.
If Spurs’ interest does result in a formal bid, the chance to return to the capital is likely to appeal, as he obviously has a connection to the club, and they’re likely to be playing in the Europa League next season as well.