Southampton FC board blasted for "shocking" transfer situation...

Southampton is under fire for how they handled the contract of another important player as Fulham plans to sign

Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer in the summer.

As the most recent in a series of high-profile departures for no compensation under the present ownership, the full-

back, who has made more than 200 appearances for the team and performed admirably in both Premier League and

Championship campaigns, is expected to go without collecting a price.

Walker-Peters’ probable exit raises serious concerns about the Saints’ long-term squad management and transfer

strategy in addition to being a major on-field loss.

Football League World spoke with Southampton fan Martin Sanders about Kyle Walker-Peters’ influence on the

Saints and whether passing up the full back would be a bad business decision. “He would be a huge loss; he was

outstanding over the weekend, especially against Fulham. Sanders told FLW, “I thought he played really, really well.”

“He’s a fantastic player who frequently played out of position while he was with Southampton. He is a flexible player

who is clearly an out-and-out right back, but he has spent a lot of time playing left back. When we brought in Tino

Livramento, he ended up playing left back and performed admirably as an inverted full back.

*Kyle Walker-Peters at Southampton (via FotMob)*
Appearances	Goals	Assists
201	6	12

“I felt it was fantastic that he stayed with us during the Championship last season. He has been with us for five years,

played in more than 200 games, and has been all you could ever want in a signing. He is all in, stylish, and gives it

his best. Since the day he arrived, his attitude has been outstanding, and it continued to be such over the weekend.

“I think he deserves a proper send-off at the end of the season; he hasn’t deserved to be demoted twice with us.”

“But this ownership, honestly, some of the football and transfer business is amazing. You’ve had Che Adams leave as

a free agent, Stuart Armstrong leave as a free agent, and now Kyle Walker Peters is doing it too. It’s shocking.”

It will be a heartbreaking farewell on many levels if Kyle Walker-Peters does depart Southampton for free this

summer. He has been a rare constant on the pitch during a period of upheaval as a player who has adjusted, stepped

up and shown loyalty through a campaign of relegation and promotion.

His versatility, dependability, and commitment have made him important to fans, but he is being allowed to leave

without getting paid.

From a business perspective, this appears to be just another inadvertent error. The Saints boardroom’s lack of

forward planning is demonstrated by letting Walker-Peters complete his contract after Che Adams and Stuart

Armstrong also had similar free departures. At a time when a club’s ability to survive is largely dependent on player

trade, Southampton cannot afford to lose assets in this way.

It may be a coup for Fulham. It’s yet another painful lesson for Southampton, and supporters may worry that the

team hasn’t learnt it yet.

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