On the latest episode of the Extra Inch podcast, Chris Miller and Nathan Clark have been reflecting on Spurs’ 2019/20 campaign and looking ahead to next season, with a discussion of some of the players that could leave or join the north London club this summer.
One topic of discussion on the recent episode, which was titled ‘So Long, Super Jan‘, was Spurs defender Kyle Walker-Peters. The academy graduate joined Southampton on loan in the January transfer window, and it has been suggested in recent weeks that he could potentially be part of a transfer deal that would see him join the Saints permanently, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg heading to the North London club.
Here’s what Clark had to say about the 23-year-old when asked if there’s any chance of him returning to Spurs and establishing himself in Jose Mourinho’s squad:
“I wouldn’t completely rule it out. I think Mourinho is toying with the idea at least, or at least wants to pretend that’s the case to get more of a fee out of Southampton. They’re interested in him, and if a good Premier League team are interested in your player, you should have a think about holding on to that player. He did the [Phil] Foden thing: he waited around for two years, he rode the bench week after week, he signed new contracts, he got promises of play time, he played three cup games and things just continued in that frustrating direction.
“Now he’s got a taste of football, he might stick. He might say, ‘I don’t want to risk just being back on the bench again, even if Spurs seem more interested in me now than they were before.’ He might say, ‘I’ve got assurances of play time at Southampton.’ So, I guess if that’s the way he feels, then there’s not a lot we can do to persuade him. But I think, from a Spurs perspective, we need a right-back, he’s a right-back.”
TIF Thoughts…
Walker-Peters impressed with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side following the restart, particularly in wins against Manchester City and Bournemouth, so you can certainly see why the Saints might be interested in taking him on a permanent deal this summer.
Would you be disappointed to see KWP leave?
Yes
No
In Japhet Tanganga and Juan Foyth, Spurs arguably have two players who can cover for Serge Aurier at right-back if needed. So, perhaps it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Walker-Peters depart this summer, especially if he is keen on a move to Southampton, which is understandable when you consider he has made just 24 appearances for the senior side at Spurs in his career thus far.