Arsenal are eyeing up a potential move for former Tottenham defender Kyle Walker-Peters this summer should Southampton be relegated, according to reports.
The Saints could drop out of the Premier League as early as this weekend should they lose at St Mary’s to Fulham, but their stay in the English top flight is almost certainly over regardless.
It could spark a firesale on the south coast, with James Ward-Prowse headlining a series of first XI players that could look to ply their trade elsewhere, including the likes of Romeo Lavia, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Mohamed Salisu.
Walker-Peters could join that list, with the defender having caught the eye of plenty of fellow top flight clubs during his three and a half years on the south coast. All of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Leicester City have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old in recent seasons.
Arsenal may just have joined that list too, with the Metro reporting that ‘the 26-year-old is also understood to have attracted interest from Manchester Untied, as well as Arsenal who are keen to sign a new right-back this summer.’
Mikel Arteta’s side have used Ben White in that role this season to great effect, but have suffered by a lack of alternatives, with fellow fullback Takehiro Tomiyasu having spent much of the campaign on the sideline through various injury issues.
With much of the budget this summer set to be spent on midfield and potentially another forward, they are on the lookout for bargains, and despite his 24 appearances for arch-rivals Tottenham, Walker-Peters could be too tempting to turn down.
