Kyle Walker-Peters could be set to return to Tottenham after five years at Southampton.
Walker-Peters left Spurs in 2020 after making just 12 Premier League appearances for the Lilywhites, but has become one of the Saints’ most consistent players.
The former England international came through Tottenham’s academy and would help the North London club fill their club-trained quota for the UEFA Champions League.
Walker-Peters will become a free agent at the end of the month after Southampton omitted him from their official retained list, allowing the North Londoners to approach the 28-year-old directly.
Spurs identify Walker-Peters as a potential target
As reported by Football London (20 June), Tottenham have identified Walker-Peters as a potential target this summer.
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It is not the glamorous signing that Thomas Frank is prioritising, but the defender’s ability to play multiple positions would aid the Dane.
His versatility to play on either flank and in the centre of defence makes Walker-Peters an ideal player for Frank, who often switches between a back-four and a back-five throughout a season.
And ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes the Lilywhites will offer their former player a two-year contract, which he expects Walker-Peters to gladly accept.
“The terms will be better than when he was at Tottenham originally,” King said.
“He’s a good player. Unfortunately, he was playing for Southampton last season, and they were not the best club to be playing for, as their record showed.
“However, I think he still had a good season on a personal level. I imagine he would be happy to come back to Tottenham, and as I said, I’m sure he’d be earning more money this time around.
“He’s 28 now, which is a good age; he still has another four or five years left at the highest level. I’d imagine Tottenham could offer him a two-year deal, and I’m sure he’d happily accept that offer.”
Tottenham return is a huge step-up for Walker-Peters
Pedro Porro and Ben Davies are the only full-backs at Tottenham with prior Champions League experience, but all of Spurs’ current defenders have recently been exposed to European football.
This is a stark contrast to Walker-Peters, who has a total of three appearances in European football and spent the season before last in the Championship.
Given that part of the appeal of bringing him back to N17 is to bolster their club-trained quota, he would be expected to play a big role in Tottenham’s upcoming Champions League campaign, which would be a huge step-up for the Englishman.