Southampton are reportedly on the verge of agreeing a deal to sign Tottenham defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
According to The Daily Echo, Southampton are confident that they will land the right-back before the end of the transfer window later this week.
The report claims that it will be a straight-up loan deal, with no option or obligation to sign him permanently in the summer window.
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This is a strange one, given that Ralph Hasenhuttl recently said that a loan deal would not make sense for Southampton when asked about Walker-Peters.
Hasenhuttl was questioned about Walker-Peters possibly arriving at St. Mary’s on loan, but ruled it out, speaking to Football London.
Only for loan, it doesn’t make sense for me for three or four months, it takes one month to know what we do and it is not so easy for someone coming in.
Despite what Hasenhuttl previously said, it does appear as though Southampton will now be signing the right-back on loan. This means, as Hasenhuttl said, that he will need time to adapt to the style of play and learn the system. Walker-Peters could take weeks to settle in, only giving Southampton an option for the last couple of months of the campaign, which is not ideal in comparison to a permanent signing.
However, it could be a case of Southampton seeing how Walker-Peters settles in and then deciding in the summer if they want to pursue a permanent move. This means that they would be able to scout him from the inside, so to speak, before making their final decision.
