Southampton have officially announced a transfer deal and now it’s over to West Ham United for their fourth signing of the summer.
West Ham and Southampton’s summer transfer business is going to be intrinsically linked.
The Saints want Flynn Downes and West Ham want Kyle Walker-Peters.
But talks have become protracted and fraught over wide gaps in valuations.
Versatility is the key quality West Ham technical director Tim Steidten and new head coach Julen Lopetegui are looking for this summer.
One area the Hammers have been looking to strengthen is at full-back.
And they don’t come much more versatile than Walker-Peters – who can play equally well at left or right-back. The ex Spurs man can also play as a wing-back on either side too.
Hammers and Saints haggle over two stars
With Saints pushing to keep Downes on a permanent deal, West Ham have been haggling over Walker-Peters.
Talks stalled when Southampton put a ridiculous valuation on his head despite the fact he’s in the last year of his contract.
Negotiations over Walker-Peters ‘highlighted a valuation gap’ between the Irons and Saints.
Since then West Ham have very publicly reignited interest in Man United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
In fact it was claimed last week that the Hammers plan a bid for Wan-Bissaka.
Some believed that may have been a ploy from West Ham to make Southampton see sense and do a deal.
Saints announce deal and now it’s over to West Ham for signing
Southampton boss Russell Martin said yesterday he will ‘cry himself to sleep’ if he can’t sign Downes.
And he confirmed Walker-Peters is like to leave when speaking to the Daily Echo.
Earlier this week Hammers News revealed the biggest hint yet that Walker-Peters will join West Ham as Saints were signing AZ Alkmaar right-back Yukinari Sugawara.
Well Saints have officially announced that deal and now it’s over to West Ham to seal their fourth signing.
In an official announcement on the club’s website, Southampton have confirmed the signing of Sugawara on a four-year deal.
Alkmaar have also confirmed the deal, thanking Sugawara for his service.
West Ham fans will remember Sugawara from their European semi-final clashes with Alkmaar.
Now they’ll be coming up against the 24-year-old Japanese star in the Premier League next season.
And it surely means Walker-Peters is on his way to West Ham now?
Walker-Peters will surely be West Ham’s fourth signing?
Especially as Martin has stated Sugawara was the number one player he wanted for the right-back position.
The Sugawara capture suggests signing number four is not far away for Steidten and Lopetegui now.
Not only would Walker-Peters bring Premier League experience and versatility to West Ham, he ticks the important homegrown player box too.
It seems Southampton’s haggling over Walker-Peters was delay tactics while they got Sugawara in the door first.
That’s sensible from the Saints. Because had they sold Walker-Peters to West Ham, Alkmaar would undoubtedly have pushed for more money knowing the south coast club had it.
It will now be no surprise at all to see West Ham’s move for Walker-Peters accelerate over the next week.
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