Southampton have accepted that West Ham target Kyle Walker-Peters will leave St Mary’s on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Radio station TalkSPORT claim that the Saints have “resigned themselves” to losing the 2-cap England star when his contract expires in June.

It has sparked a scramble to snap up Walker-Peters, with the Hammers competing with two London rivals for the defender’s signature.

TalkSPORT believe that Fulham are also keen on signing the 27-year-old, along with his former club Tottenham Hotspur who sold him five years ago.

West Ham are looking to replace Coufal

The Irons signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £15m from Manchester United last summer to strengthen their options on the right-hand side of defence.

However, head coach Graham Potter may soon lose Vladimir Coufal who has yet to sign a new deal with the club. It has been suggested that the Czech international could be allowed to leave on a free. With that being the case, the interest in Walker-Peters makes a lot of sense.

Several defenders could be recruited in the summer

Despite splashing out on Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Wan-Bissaka at the start of the campaign, West Ham remain pretty porous at the back, having conceded 46 goals in 24 league matches.

In addition to a new right-back, the club will need to consider strengthening the other flank as Aaron Cresswell’s contract is set to expire at the same time as Coufal’s.

The club are also pretty short of numbers in central areas. Potter’s fourth-choice centre-half is 20-year-old Kaelan Casey who has made just three appearances at senior level. It looks like it could be a pretty busy summer for the Hammers in the transfer market.

Read our exclusive interview with ex-Premier League official Peter Walton who discusses why Chelsea’s equaliser against West Ham stood