Southampton: £12m Hasenhuttl signing now 'attractive to a lot of clubs'

Southampton pair James Ward-Prowse and Kyle Walker-Peters could soon start ‘attracting interest’ from Premier League rivals, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The talented duo have both excelled on the south coast this season, earning recognition with call-ups to the latest England squad by manager Gareth Southgate.

As per WhoScored, Ward-Prowse has been the Saints’ top performer this term, earning a season rating of 7.12, while Walker-Peters is just behind him in second place with a score of 6.99.

Ward-Prowse – who is valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt – has gone from strength to strength since the beginning of 2020/21 especially, registering 17 goals and 14 assists in his last 78 appearances for Southampton.

Meanwhile, Walker-Peters has showcased his versatility in the current campaign, playing the majority of his games on his unfavoured left-hand side, racking up six goal contributions in his 29 outings across all competitions.

The duo have both played pivotal roles in the south coast club rising to 12th in the top-flight standings, and with only one point separating them and ninth-placed Crystal Palace, a top-half finish is certainly still on the cards.

Despite Walker-Peters signing a new contract in 2020 and Ward-Prowse following suit a year later, O’Rourke has revealed he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if the top-six clubs in England starting taking an interest in the pair.

He told GiveMeSport: “You wouldn’t be surprised if both of those players were attracting interest from the top four, top six clubs in the Premier League.

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“They’ve been excellent for Southampton and earning England recognition now as well, Kyle Walker-Peters.

 “I think the big thing