“Big question” emerges as Tottenham target Southampton star | OneFootball

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters will need to decide whether he is happy to potentially settle for less game time in exchange for a move to Tottenham Hotspur, speaking to Give Me Sport.

The full-back has been linked with a move away from St Mary's a number of times since the Saints' relegation to the Championship - and that comes as no surprise considering his quality and the fact he has represented England at a senior international level before.

He is one player who looks destined to be sold if the south-coast side aren't promoted at the end of this season, something that's a possibility considering they haven't won their play-off semi-final yet and could face a very difficult final at Wembley.

The defender may have won plenty of game time under Russell Martin this term, something that could potentially persuade him to opt against pushing for a move away from St Mary's this summer.

But he's likely to be a man in demand, with vultures likely to be circling ahead of the Saints' second-leg clash against West Bromwich Albion, and interested teams may want to take advantage of the fact he only has one year left on his contract.

Dean Jones on Tottenham's interest in Kyle Walker-Peters

Tottenham, Walker-Peters' former club, are reportedly interested in the Saints' man.

It would be an interesting move for the full-back, who won't be guaranteed regular starts in the English capital, and journalist Jones believes Walker-Peters will have a big decision to make if he's offered the chance to return to his former club.

He told Give Me Sport: "There is definitely something interesting in the rumours about Spurs targeting Kyle Walker-Peters for the summer window, and the reason I am taking it seriously is because of this need they have for homegrown or home-trained players.

"When you look at Spurs' squad, if they are going to develop as a serious European side, they need to get depth in there that fills all the criteria needed for an elite modern day squad build.

"At the moment, they don’t have that, but bringing players like Walker-Peters back into the building really could be seen as a good idea.

"The big question would then need to be answered by the player. Is he happy to be back at the club to tick boxes? Would he believe in himself enough to join for that reason but then actually push for a place in the team?"

Southampton will only be able to fend off interest in Kyle Walker-Peters by doing one thing

The Saints will need to win promotion if they want to give themselves a good chance of keeping Walker-Peters.

He may not have registered that many goals and assists during the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Walker-Peters arguably deserves to be playing at the top level and the Saints will want to secure promotion, so they can give themselves a better chance of tying the defender down to a new contract.

If he can be tied down to a new deal, that means the south-coast side won't need to sell him.

And a new deal could deter interested clubs from making bids for him.