Saints' class act attracts attention

KYLE Walker-Peters’ inclusion in the Championship team of the season is unsurprising given the calibre of club currently pursuing the 27-year-old right-back.

- Chris Dunlavy

Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United have all been credited with an interest in the former Spurs defender, whose contract at St Mary’s expires in the summer of 2025.

Should Saints fail to win promotion this season it is widely anticipated that Walker-Peters will depart while a reasonable fee can still be commanded, though it is likely to be below market value for a player who embodies the skillset required of a modern-day full-back.

“Kyle is an unbelievably smart footballer with a super football intelligence,” said former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, shortly before Walker-Peters won the first of his two England caps in 2022.

“He plays left-back, rightback. He can go outside or come inside. He reminds me a little bit of Philipp Lahm I must say, because he is so good on the ball, he always has good decisions. He can run and makes nearly no mistakes.”

Part of the first-team picture at Spurs from the age of 18, Walker-Peters was heavily influenced by his uncle, Phil Walker, a central midfielder for Millwall who later spent seven years in Portugal with Boavista. “My uncle played a big part in terms of sharing his experiences,” he told the Guardian in 2022.