Leeds United ‘already eye summer transfer’ for Southampton star
Leeds United have already set their sights on a Southampton player as they look towards strengthening ahead of what will hopefully be a Premier League campaign next season.
The Whites made just four first-team signings after their last promotion in 2020, on top of converting a few loans into permanent transfers, but that’s expected to be wildly different this time around.
Automatic promotion – the be-all and end-all for Leeds this season given their record in the play-offs – is far from secured, but their owners 49ers Enterprises know that new signings will need to be plentiful.
As a result, it’s no surprise to see the Elland Road hierarchy already lining up potential transfers for if and when a return to the top flight is sealed, including players who they could be passing on the way up.
Leeds United to rekindle Kyle Walker-Peters transfer interest
While many pundits and opposition coaches have tipped Daniel Farke‘s side to complete their return to the Premier League, few are in doubt that Southampton are heading the other way to the second tier.
TEAMtalk reported on 16 February that with a full-back on the transfer list for United this summer, Saints’ Kyle Walker-Peters is a player who could well be on their radar if promotion is secured at the season’s end.
Walker-Peters was of interest to the Whites in January and his expiring contract has also alerted Everton and Leicester City, but none of the trio saw fit to meet Southampton’s £7million asking price.
Leeds United must aim higher than Kyle Walker-Peters
Although Walker-Peters is a perfectly serviceable Premier League defender – and wants to remain as such with Southampton heading for relegation – he may struggle to get into Daniel Farke’s starting XI.
Jayden Bogle has become arguably the Championship’s best attacking right-back this term, to such an extent that he’s even been mooted for a surprise England call-up in Thomas Tuchels’ first squad.
The other side of the defence, where Walker-Peters can play just as seamlessly, provides further questions, with both Sam Byram and Junior Firpo out of contract at the end of the season.
Despite this, the impact Firpo – a natural left-footer – has made in recent weeks for the Peacocks cannot be understated, helping to lay the attacking platform which has yielded 18 goals in just six matches.
Saints, Ipswich and Leicester – all promoted ahead of Leeds last term – have suffered from aiming low with their recruitment this season, and if United do go up, they’ll be keen to avoid making such mistakes.