In a recent report, The Times (subscription required) revealed that West Ham United are in talks to land Southampton talent Kyle Walker-Peters. It has been stated that the Hammers would have to pay £20m to acquire the services of the English full-back this summer.
Walker-Peters’ Good Run Of Form At Southampton
The 27-year-old experienced a solid season at the St. Mary’s Stadium after he produced a series of eye-catching performances on the right side of the Southampton defence. Walker-Peters netted three goals and secured three assists in 47 appearances for the Saints in the previous campaign across multiple competitions.
The London-born sensation was a reliable presence on the right flank as he averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.2 clearances, 0.9 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in the EFL Championship. He was even tidy when distributing possession from the back after making 91.1% of his attempted passes in the English second tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Southampton will run out at the end of next season, so it makes sense for West Ham to try and get a cut-price deal done for him later this summer.
What Will Walker-Peters Add To West Ham United Boss Julen Lopetegui’s Team?
Walker-Peters is a decent tackler of the ball and can make the odd interception for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when required and can shoot the ball with venom from long range.
The English talent has got the vision to engineer some decent chances for others around him from the right wing and is a good runner with the ball as well. He mainly functions as a right-back but can also fill in as a left-back if asked to do so.
Walker-Peters would undeniably add more quality to West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui’s attack. He has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot at the London Stadium in the coming seasons.
At 27, Walker-Peters has his peak years ahead of him which makes him a good option for the Hammers to pursue before the start of the new campaign. He is already familiar with Premier League football and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the East London club if Lopetegui can get him on board soon.
