Southampton in talks with Man City - transfer could solve Kyle Walker-Peters issue | OneFootball

The former Luton Town loanee could potentially move to St Mary's

Southampton have held talks with Manchester City defender Issa Kabore over the possibility of a move to St Mary's in the latter stages of the current transfer window.

The Saints have made a positive start to life under Will Still in the Championship after a shocking one-season return to the Premier League last term, taking four points from their first two matches against newly-promoted Wrexham and expected promotion rivals, Ipswich Town, last Sunday at Portman Road.

In what is his first job on English soil, the highly-rated Still has overseen plenty of changes on the South Coast in the first weeks and months of his reign, with many high-profile names already departing, whilst the likes of Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling remain high on the radar of several Premier League outfits.

The 32-year-old is still looking to add to his current crop of players, several of whom are established performers at second-tier level after Saints' play-off success under Russell Martin two seasons ago, and one of those potential incomings could come in the form of the aforementioned Burkina Faso international.

Southampton FC hold talks with Manchester City defender Issa Kabore amid Lyon transfer interest

The right-back has been on the books of Pep Guardiola's side since the summer of 2020, having moved to the North West club from Belgian outfit, KV Mechelen, as a 19-year-old.

During his five years at the Etihad Stadium, the highly-rated defender spent time on loan with his former employers, as well as temporary spells with Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town - during the Hatters' solitary Premier League campaign in 2023/24, Benfica and, latterly, Bundesliga outfit, Werder Bremen.

He is also yet to feature for the Citizens' senior side, despite being under contract until the summer of 2027, and has once again been continuously linked with temporary or permanent departures this summer window.

And, according to Ben Jacobs of GIVEMESPORT, Southampton have held talks with the 24-year-old over the possibility of a move between now and September 1st, with Man City reportedly open to either a permanent or loan move at this moment in time.

Jacobs also outlines that Lyon, who have endured a tumultuous summer after their place in Ligue 1 was eventually reinstated amid financial issues, remain interested in his signature too, despite reports earlier in the window claiming that Kabore resisted the idea of moving to the Groupama Stadium.

The report also states that newly-promoted Hamburger SV of the Bundesliga had made an approach earlier in the summer, but Merlin Polzin's side are not actively pursuing a move right now.

Issa Kabore could finally be Southampton FC's ideal Kyle Walker-Peters replacement

Despite deploying a three-at-the-back system in his opening two league games, it is clear that Still has been looking for right-sided reinforcements, with Yukinari Sugiwara and Ryan Fraser starting respectively against Wrexham and Ipswich.

Earlier in the window, Saints were linked with a move for Max Johnston of Sturm Graz following Kyle Walker-Peters' exit and subsequent move to West Ham, although they have since looked to have turned their focus elsewhere.

Kabore would be an ideal option to have, as he has the ability to offer a much stronger defensive nous when needed in specific instances, as well as from an attacking sense. He would also provide further depth at centre-back should Southampton lose the likes of Jack Stephens, Taylor Harwood-Bellis or Joshua Quarshie to injury, or potentially elsewhere, although transfer talk surrounding Harwood-Bellis has somewhat chilled in recent times.

It remains to be seen what the respective club's preferences would be in terms of a permanent or temporary switch, but it would seem potentially logical for Kabore to demand a permanent exit from the Etihad, as it continues to look increasingly unlikely that he will ever play for the club at senior level, meaning a fresh challenge and environment would only benefit his career in the long run.