According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, usually one of the more reliable purveyors of transfer news, West Ham are in negotiations with Saints regarding Kyle Walker Peters.

Southampton fans will be disappointed to learn that Kyle Walker Peters could well be leaving St Mary's this summer, that is according to westhamzone.com who are quoting a post on X from Fabrizio Romano who says:

"🚨⚒️ Negotiations underway between West Ham and Southampton for Kyle Walker-Peters and Flynn Downes.

Swap deal being discussed and concrete possibility, as
@ExWHUEmployee called.

Kyle Walker-Peters already said yes to West Ham, still work to do between clubs."

This rumour could have some legs, Walker Peters is entering the last year of his contract at St Mary's and so Saints have to cash in now or risk losing him for nothing in a years time.

KWP remained loyal to the club last season and was a key part of the promotion push and it would be a big blow to lose him, but it is going to be difficult to keep him given the interest not only from the Hammers, but also Tottenham Hotspur who have also been touted as a potential destination in the last week or so.

Saints will be keen to keep him, but it is going to come down to money, Walker Peters will still fetch £25 million at his current valuation, which is a big chunk to Southampton FC, but more importantly it is going to come down to wages, West Ham & Spurs will be able to offer him more than he would get at St Mary's and this could be a deciding factor.

This is not a lack of ambition on Saints part, the reality of the Premier League is that both Spurs & West Ham play in front of crowds of almost double the capacity of St Mary's they can generate a lot more income for wages etc.

Southampton are already talking to West Ham regarding Flynn Downes and Danny Ings and a deal involving a cash payment from the Hammers plus one or both of the aforementioned players could be on the cards.

Of course this is the time of year that rumours abound and you can be sure that the players agents are all working hard to get the best deal for their clients and pit one club against another.

One replacement for KWP if he goes, could be a man leaving West Ham at the end of his contract, Ben Johnson was linked with Saints a year ago but ended up staying with the Hammers, now after declining a new deal he will become a free agent next week, he is reported to be having talks with Ipswich Town, but given the latest news, it could be that Saints make a renewed effort to persuade him to come to the South Coast.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 12:48 - Jun 28 This would be a great shame. He could of course sign a new contract...
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SonicBoom added 13:13 - Jun 28 Would be a great shame. But as a footballer it must be a draw to play in front of bigger crowds each week and get paid more for doig it.
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Bowlercow added 13:40 - Jun 28 One of a handful of PL ready players in our squad Hopefully we have his replacement lined up
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WestSussexSaint added 14:19 - Jun 28 Player swaps increasingly seem to be flavour of the month to circumvent profit and sustainability rules. If KWP is valued at £25m and Downes and Ings valued at £12m and £6m respectively, WH can pay the difference of £7m in cash. But there is nothing stopping both clubs inflating the respective values on their balance sheets e.g. £35m for KWP and £28m for the WH pair. WH still only pay £7m but the sales of both are counted in the one year they occur whereas expenditure is spread across the length of the respective player contracts. It gives both clubs great room to spend now under the current rules.

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AmericanSaint added 16:54 - Jun 28 This would be a stupid move. As stated above, KWP is one of a few that has PL experience and we need that desperately, especially in our defense. Let's be honest, Ings is not worth 6M as he might score 4-5 goals if not injured. Downes is a solid player, but not flush with PL experience. Reading the rumors that we have bid for RB out of Turkey is not comforting either. It is not like we have spend major money so far. The smart thing to do is to offer KWP a much improved contract for 4 years. He is a known factor who plays the way Martin wants, so we should suck it up and offer him a the better contract and then pay for Downes. Forget Ings complete as that is a red herring. Just my two cents.

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highfield49 added 12:16 - Jun 29 Whilst I appreciate the sentiment of what you're saying AmericanSaint surely there is a bigger picture, as has already been posted? Having limited resources we can't afford to offer bucket loads of money to KWP without causing problems in the dressing room, there has to be a wage structure. KWP may feel that he has more chance of returning to the England squad with WHU, now that Walker is due for replacement. He may also have have a verbal agreement to seek a new club in return for not pushing for a move last summer? Who knows, I don't. In respect of Downes, regardless of his PL experience, we know exactly what we're getting. I haven't seen any aspect of his game that raises alarm bells concerning stepping up a level. Ings contract runs until 2025, is he likely to take a pay cut or run down his lucrative wages sitting on the bench? My feeling is he'll stay put because there's no reason to move, unless WHU want to subsidise a free transfer. I'm with Bowlercow on this, if there's a replacement lined up and KWP is unsettled let him go.

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AmericanSaint added 14:55 - Jun 29 Highfield - I understand you point and there is validity to it if KWP had a verbal agreement to stay last year. You are right, we dont know what was agreed to behind closed doors, etc., but if let's say he was making $50k/week., I don't think it unreasonable to offer him 75-85/week., since he is a known quantity and was our best player by far. As for Downes, we do know what we are getting, so paying 12-15M for him that WU want is not too outrageous. Also agree that Ings will stay for the $$$ versus moving for a pay cut - No incentive. Yes, it KWP is unsettled, then take the money & Downes and move on. I just feel we should be focusing on a Striker (1st), LB and CB, instead of haggling with WU.

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Waylander added 13:50 - Jul 1 Ben Johnson has joined Ipswich
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