Southampton FC: 5 ideal Kyle Walker-Peters replacements if he leaves in January

FLW lists five replacements if Kyle Walker-Peters departs from the South Coast.

The substantial number of player departures that have left gaps in the team make Southampton’s second-tier challenge quite challenging.
The likes of Isaiah Jones, Neco Williams, Ben Johnson, or Calum Chambers should be taken into consideration by Southampton if full-back Kyle Walker-Peters departs.
The flexibility of James Justin at full-back makes him a possible alternative for someone who was relegated with Leicester City.
At the first possible opportunity, Southampton hopes to return quickly to the Premier League.

Due to the inability of Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones, and Ruben Selles to preserve stability and the Saints’ top-flight standing, the team was demoted from the Premier League after a chaotic season last year.

Summertime schedule 18 players have left St. Mary’s Stadium, including Nathan Tella, Romeo Lavia, James Ward-Prowse, and Tino Livramento, who all commanded high transfer fees. Russell Martin has had to deal with these departures.

Although the league is undoubtedly at its peak this year with heavyweight teams coming from the top flight and League One, a considerable number of departures have left huge vacancies in the playing roster, making the second tier a tough battle.

One player who would be inclined to leave Southampton in order to return to the Premier League on a regular basis is full-back Kyle Walker-Peters. This is especially true if the squad fails to push for promotion before the January transfer market opened.

We examine five candidates Southampton should consider to replace Walker-Peters in the event that he leaves here at Football League World.

Isaiah Jones

First up is Isaiah Jones, a defender for Middlesbrough who made 34 appearances during the previous campaign and assisted Michael Carrick in getting Boro to the play-off semifinals.

Capable of filling any position on the right wing, the 24-year-old has fought his way back into the starting lineup on a regular basis. He has contributed considerably to their current run, with two goals and an assist in their last two games against Sunderland and Cardiff City.

Jones is an adventurous option because he plays right flank for Teesside right now, but he may be a great asset and relieve a lot of burden on the forward line by scoring goals and generating plenty of opportunities.

Neco Williams

Next up is Nottingham Forest full-back Neco Williams, who has struggled for game time in the Premier League recently in the East Midlands.

The Welsh international made a permanent move to the Tricky Trees from Liverpool and saw regular minutes in his debut season, featuring 31 times and scoring once at Anfield.

This term has seen a change in fortunes for the 22-year-old, with Williams missing their last six top-flight outings, and only playing in their opening two games against Arsenal and Sheffield United.

With a severe lack of game time impacting his career, the Saints could be tempted into a loan move for Williams, giving the defender a chance to restore his confidence and showcase his talent with a consistent run of starts under his belt.

Ben Johnson

Another Premier League full-back who could be available is West Ham’s Ben Johnson, who has failed to secure regular minutes due to the competition of Vladimir Coufal.

The 23-year-old burst onto the scene at the London Stadium four years ago but has recently been building his fitness by playing for U21s side.

With no sign of a return to first team action for the Hammers under David Moyes, Johnson’s development looks to have stalled but he still has plenty of potential and offers versatility – comfortable playing at both right-back and left-back.

FLW revealed in the summer that the Saints enquired about Johnson so it wouldn’t be a surprise were they to return for him.

Calum Chambers

Calum Chambers is another man in desperate need of a move away in January, with a lack of minutes registered at Aston Villa under Unai Emery.

The 28-year-old has played 30 times during his spell in the West Midlands but is yet to register a league appearance this season.

With the former Arsenal defender not challenging for a starting spot ahead of Matty Cash, Chambers may look to delve into the Championship for a starting spot, potentially providing healthy competition to the defensive line at the St Mary’s stadium.

James Justin

Rounding off the list is James Justin, who similarly suffered relegation from the Premier League with Leicester City.

After joining the Foxes from Luton Town in the summer of 2019, the 25-year-old has seen himself out of the side after sustaining a cruciate ligament rupture in 2021.

Justin has seen mixed minutes under Enzo Maresca too, displaced by Hamza Choudhary in their victory over Stoke City last weekend after back-to-back starts against Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End.

It may be unlikely for Leicester to negotiate with a promotion rival, but Martin may be tempted to see if a deal can be struck with Justin’s versatility at full-back a standout factor of his quality.