Southampton sign Kyle Walker-Peters

Southampton have completed the permanent signing of full-back Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham Hotspur. The club announed on Tuesday (August 111) that the 23-year-old would make a summer move to St Mary’s.

Walker-Peters signed a five-year contract, following a series of eye-catching displays with the team after joining on an initial loan deal in January. The full-back, who has represented England at every level from Under-18s to Under-21s, came through the Spurs academy before going on to make 24 senior appearances for the London club.

Following his short-term switch to Southampton, the right-back played only once before the enforced pause in the season, but it was agreed he would be able to see out the campaign with Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side. He took full advantage of that opportunity, producing a string of outstanding performances as Saints took points from eight of their nine games after the restart.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “It was not easy for Kyle when he arrived here. He needed some time to adapt to our style of play, and then we had this period where we could not be together as a team.

“But you could see from how he performed when we came back that he had worked a lot in this time, both on his physical condition and also on his understanding of our own game. It says a lot to me about this player that he was able to do this.

“He is a very good fit for our style. He is a young, intelligent player, and he is very good on the ball, with good quickness and an ability to play this intense style that we like.

“I am very pleased we have been able to bring him back as our player, as this is a position that we have been looking to improve in and Kyle does this for us. I think he can develop his game even more here too.”

Kyle Walker-Peters said: “I’m delighted to have signed here. The last few months on loan have been great for me and a lot of fun too. I’ve really enjoyed my football, the atmosphere here and also the style of play.

“The club definitely fits the way I like to play, and I hope that people were able to see that during the last month or so of the season.

“I feel like I’ve already developed in the time I’ve been here, and that’s a big part of wanting to stay too. Obviously, it’s a club with a great reputation for improving young players and, personally, I’ve found it really valuable working under the manager, with his ideas on the game and what he expects from you as an individual.

“I think the way we finished the season gives us real optimism about where we’re heading too, and it just feels like a really good place for me to keep developing as a player and make the best out of what I have.”

In a separate deal, midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg moved in the opposite direction, signing permanently with Tottenham.