Report: Club confident they can keep hold of their ‘outstanding’ player despite Arteta wanting him at Arsenal

By Milo Clay

Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters has apparently caught the attention of Arsenal this summer, but the Telegraph reports that the Saints are confident they can keep hold of their player. 

The 25-year-old is certainly attracting the attention of bigger clubs after an impressive spell at the Saints which has seen him force his way into the England set-up last season. 

Despite coming through the academy at Tottenham Hotspur, their bitter rivals Arsenal are reportedly interested in making a move for the player. 

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta apparently wants to bring Walker-Peters to the Emirates this summer but he may face a tough ask to do so. 

Arteta wants Walker-Peters at Arsenal 

The Telegraph reports that Southampton are confident they will keep hold of Walker-Peters this summer, despite interest from Arsenal. 

The Saints value the full-back between £30 and £35 million and will hold out on their valuation, especially after Oleksandr Zinchenko’s move to North London this summer. 

Arteta currently has decent options at right-back in Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares, while the Spaniard has also used Ben White in the position during pre-season. 

But Walker-Peters could bring more attacking threat to the Arsenal side as all three players are more defensively minded players. 

The England international managed two goals and four assists for Southampton last season. The former Spurs man has shown he is more than capable of playing as a right-back or left-back as he has filled both roles for Ralph Hasenhuttl. 

Walker-Peters hasn’t just caught the eye of Arsenal, as London rivals Chelsea and Spurs have also shown interest in the player this summer. 

If Arsenal were to move for the talented full-back, they would face fierce competition from their Premier League rivals. 

It’s unclear whether Walker-Peters would make the switch to Arsenal due to his close ties to Spurs. But at this moment in time, the Saints seem confident they will keep hold of their player this summer, despite interest from the league’s biggest clubs.