West Ham United are still actively pursuing Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters. Sky Sports Dharmesh Sheth reports that negotiations are ongoing, with Southampton holding out for a £20 million transfer fee.
Sheth disclosed that West Ham’s interest in Walker-Peters has been ongoing, but the clubs have yet to settle on a price. The Hammers initially bid £15 million for the former Spurs player, which Southampton promptly rejected. The Hammers were hoping to include KWP in the deal which saw Flynn Downes move to the South Coast club but negotiations have proved to be more tricky than expected.
“West Ham has been interested in Kyle Walker-Peters for quite some time. I’m informed that discussions are still ongoing with Southampton, but they haven’t yet agreed on a fee. The gap between what West Ham is willing to pay and what Southampton is asking for remains,” Sheth stated.
The addition of Walker-Peters could significantly bolster West Ham’s defensive options, particularly as they look to strengthen and add depth. Despite having Vladimir Coufal in the squad, West Ham appears eager to intensify competition for places to enhance overall team performance.
The urgency for reinforcements became apparent after West Ham’s pre-season friendlies, which lacked the presence of a first-team or academy right-back, following Ben Johnson’s departure. Walker-Peters could be the ideal candidate to fill this gap. Kaelan Casey put in an impressive performance against Dagenham & Redbridge yesterday but is a central defender by trade and not in the clubs plans as a full-back.