Southampton FC board blasted for "shocking" transfer situation amid Kyle Walker-Peters update | OneFootball

With Fulham circling and his contract set to expire, Southampton face the prospect of losing one of their most dependable performers for nothing

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

As Fulham line up a summer move for Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, Southampton face scrutiny over their handling of another key player’s contract.

The full-back, who has featured over 200 times for the club and impressed consistently in both Premier League and Championship campaigns, looks set to depart without generating a fee - just the latest in a string of high-profile exits for no compensation under the current ownership.

For Saints fans, Walker-Peters’ likely departure not only represents a significant on-pitch loss, but also raises tough questions about the club’s long-term squad management and transfer strategy.

Supporter hails Walker-Peters’ commitment amid exit rumours

Football League World spoke with Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders on Kyle Walker-Peters’ contribution to the Saints, and whether or not it’d be a bad business decision to not cash in on the full back.

“He’d be a massive miss, he was brilliant at the weekend, absolutely brilliant against Fulham. I thought he played really, really well.” Sanders told FLW.

“Such a good player and played out of position so much during his time with Southampton. He is versatile - obviously an out-and-out right back, yet has ended up playing left back for extended periods of time - when we brought Tino Livramento in, he ended up playing left back and he did a really good job as an inverted full back.”

“I thought it was brilliant - the fact he stuck with us last season in the Championship - five years he’s been with us, 200 games plus, he’s been everything you want in a signing really. Gives 110%, he’s classy and he’s all in. His attitude has been brilliant since the moment he turned up, and to the weekend, absolutely brilliant.”

“He has not deserved to get relegated with us twice in my opinion, deserves a proper send off at the end of the season.”

“But yes, they have done this three times now - this ownership, honestly, some of the transfer business and football business is incredible. You’ve had Che Adams walk out as a free agent, Stuart Armstrong walk out as a free agent, and now Kyle Walker Peters doing it as well. Shocking.”

If Kyle Walker-Peters does leave Southampton for free this summer, it will be a departure that stings on multiple levels. On the pitch, he’s been a rare constant in a period of instability - a player who has adapted, stepped up, and shown loyalty through a relegation and a promotion push.

His versatility, consistency, and commitment have made him indispensable to fans, and yet, he’s being allowed to leave without any financial return.

From a business perspective, this feels like another unforced error. Letting a player of Walker-Peters’ calibre run his contract down, following similar free exits for Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong, points to a concerning lack of forward planning in the Saints boardroom.

In an era where player trading is central to a club’s sustainability, Southampton can ill afford to lose assets this way.

For Fulham, it’s a potential coup. For Southampton, it’s another bitter lesson - and perhaps one that fans fear the club hasn’t learned from yet.