The perfect West Ham summer transfer who could save club millions and become bargain of the window

West Ham have struggled for results on the whole since Graham Potter was brought in and are just outside the relegation zone. They can’t go down with the bottom three of Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town already cut adrift. However, the London club will want to improve by the time the 2025/26 season is underway.

Potter was brought in back in January after their decision to sack Julen Lopetegui. The 49-year-old, who has had spells in the past at Swansea City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea in the past, hasn’t had the immediate impact he would have wanted to. He penned a two-and-a-half year deal when he arrived at the London Stadium.

West Ham should target Kyle Walker-Peters

Southampton have endured a dismal campaign and have already been relegated to the Championship. They will now face a battle to keep hold of Kyle Walker-Peters. The full-back is out of contract in late June and is due to become a free agent this summer as things stand.

West Ham should throw him a top flight lifeline later this year. He is experienced in the top flight and probably won’t want to play in the Football League again. The 28-year-old has been part of a team who have lost consistently this term so he may feel that he has a point to prove.

The London-born man has been a key player for Southampton since joining them back in 2020. He has been a good servant to the Saints and played an important role in their promotion from the second tier last year under Russell Martin. They beat Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley after Adam Armstrong’s winner.

Walker-Peters has made 190 appearances in all competitions for the Hampshire club to date, 33 of which have come this season. He has chipped in with six goals and 11 assists which shows he can have an influence at the top end of the pitch too. It remains to be seen where he will be playing his football next.

Why Kyle Walker-Peters would suit West Ham

The fact Walker-Peters is due to become available for nothing is a boost for West Ham. They wouldn’t need to pay a fee to get him which would be ideal. That would save some cash to bring in reinforcements in other areas of the pitch.

The twice-capped England international rose up through the academy at Tottenham Hotspur so a potential switch to the Hammers could see him return to the capital. He was a regular for Spurs at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team. The defender then played 24 games before heading out the exit door.

Joining West Ham would be an exciting new challenge for him. He is likely to receive more game time there than he would if he went to a team in the top four or top six. He has a big decision to make and will be weighing up his options right now.

Potter will be keen on putting his own stamp on his squad over the coming months with some new additions. Walker-Peters can bolster his defensive department and offer more competition in that department. The Hammers have leaked goals recently and could do with tightening things up at the back.