West Ham could turn to Kyle Walker-Peters to provide competition for Vladimir Coufal, according to reports.
When Southampton went down last season, there were certain players that were expected to depart. The likes of Lavia, Livramento and Ward-Prowse were all simply too good for the Championship. However, one name that many expected to see move back to the Premier League but didn’t was Kyle Walker-Peters.
The 26 year old has been one of the Saints standout players for a number of years now, so the fact he was not able to generate much attention comes as a surprise.
However, as West Ham look to strengthen their squad by bringing in fresh faces, while also selling some fringe players, a potential deal for Walker-Peters could find itself with benefits to both clubs.
According to TALKsport, the Hammers could look to bring in the Englishman to really improve a position where they lack depth. His contract is due to expire in the Summer and there is no indication that he is looking at extending his stay on the south coast, making it a case of losing him on a free or making some money on him in January.
Interestingly, recent reports from journalist Darren Witcoop suggest that the Saints are interested in signing West Ham’s Ben Johnson in January. On top of this, various sources have mentioned the possibility of Danny Ings returning to his former side on loan or even permanently. If this is the case, the two clubs may be able to reach some sort of agreement in which the East London side send one or both of these players their way in addition to a reduced fee.
Walker-Peters is certainly too good to be playing in the Championship and a move to West Ham could certainly be of interest to him. A realistic chance of breaking into the starting XI at a massive club as well as the chance to play European football could be very tempting.
Given the circumstances mentioned, this could be a deal that both West Ham and Southampton benefit from. It’s hard to imagine their demand being too high for him, but will the board really want to spend part of their limited budget on a player they can get for free come the end of the season?
