Football
Exclusive: Everton and West Ham Interested in Southampton Defender Kyle Walker-Peters
Top clubs like Everton and West Ham are interested in Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer as his contract expires. Valued at £25million, the 28-year-old is sought after for his Premier League experience, with Fulham also interested. Walker-Peters is considering his options with multiple clubs keen to sign him.
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Southampton FC - Premier League by Marc Atkins | Getty Images
A string of top clubs are clamouring to secure the signature of Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters, SportsBoom sources can reveal.
Everton and West Ham are both interested in signing the sought-after England international right-back on a free transfer, with his contract due to expire.
Both clubs are understood to have expressed a desire to sign the 28-year-old, who is destined to leave the Saints now they have been relegated to the Championship.
Fulham have also reportedly shown an appetite to sign Walker-Peters, capped twice by England senior level and who played for his country at Under-18, 19, 20 and 21 level respectively on his way to the Premier League.
In makes for what could be an interesting bidding war for the defender, who joined the Saints on a permanent deal in August 2020 on a five-year deal after a successful loan spell at St Mary’s Stadium.
Walker-Peters is valued at £25million, but with his contract running down the club are desperate to get decent money for the player before he departs.
But Everton and West Ham both know it’s a waiting game now until he becomes a free transfer, although SportsBoom understands tentative talks having taken place with his representatives.
And Walker-Peters holds most of the cards with so many clubs hungry to sign him ahead of next season, a bargain considering his vast Premier League experience.
PREMIER LEAGUE PEDIGREE
The former Tottenham Hotspur ace enjoyed a taste of the top-flight with cameo performances for Spurs during the early stages of his career between 2017-2020.
But his loan move to Saints allowed the defender to raise eyebrows with a string of impressive displays.
He enjoyed four seasons in the Premier League with the club before relegation to the second tier at the end of the 2022-23 season.
But the full-back enjoyed promotion right back to the top flight the following season as Saints fired their back up again at the first time of asking.
SportsBoom understands Saints would love to keep Walker-Peters, but they accept he wants to play in the Premier League next season.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.