Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters has been identified as a summer target for Premier League rivals Chelsea, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 25-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract at the St. Mary’s Stadium, but recent reports have suggested that the Saints would be willing to let him leave this summer if they received an offer in the region of £40m.

The defender has been attracting interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal throughout the transfer window, but another name from the top-flight now appears to have emerged as a new potential suitor, and it comes in the form of the Blues.

The Latest: Chelsea plotting Walker-Peters move

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea have held talks inside the club regarding a potential move for Walker-Peters. He wrote:

“Chelsea are considering many options for right-back position, to be discussed after Cucurella. Kyle Walker-Peters, one of the options alongside Denzel Dumfries.

“Dumfries top of the list but Inter want to keep him, still no bid.

“Walker-Peters, discussed internally.”

The Verdict: Would be a huge loss

Walker-Peters has been an integral part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur two years ago, and so it would be a huge loss if the south coast outfit were to lose him now.

The two-cap international, hailed for having an ‘immense’ spirit by sports journalist Josh Bunting, averaged 1.8 tackles and two successful dribbles per league game last season, via WhoScored, highlighting his ability to affect the game at both ends of the pitch.

There’s no doubt that Southampton will want to keep hold of Walker-Peters, hence why they’ve put the £40m price tag on his head, but if an offer in that proximity were to be presented, it might just be too good to turn down.