Galatasaray have reportedly tabled an £8m offer for Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
The Turkish outfit have been recently linked to the 27-year-old, who is also supposedly gaining admirers elsewhere in the Premier League from Everton and Leicester City.
Walker-Peters has been a shining light during a troubling campaign for Southampton, with the player providing two assists across 21 top-flight contests.
The full-back's efforts have not allowed the Saints to stay afloat in the relegation race, though, with the South-coast club fully expected to suffer the drop to the Championship.
Collecting a mere six points from their opening 23 contests, Ivan Juric's troops are sitting rock bottom of the Premier League standings, 11 points behind safety.
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Galatasaray bid £8m for Southampton star Walker-Peters?
According to the Daily Mail, the first major move has been made in the hotly-contested pursuit of Southampton star Walker-Peters this month.
The report claims that Galatasaray has tabled an initial offer worth £8m for the services of the defender, who has proven his worth as a top-flight player.
With Walker-Peters's current deal at St Mary's expiring at the conclusion of the campaign, the current window represents the final chance for Southampton to earn a fee off his departure.
However, it is understood that the 27-year-old would prefer to see out his contract on the South coast and leave as a free agent over the summer.
As a result, Walker-Peters is likely to feature when Juric's whipping boys visit fellow newly-promoted side Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
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Southampton's window so far
The loss of Walker-Peters this month would undoubtedly be the biggest blow to Southampton's faint survival hopes so far, with only fringe players departing in January to date.
Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz moved back to Sheffield United on loan for the remainder of the campaign, looking to set the Championship alight once again.
There has also been a second-tier switch for youngster Ronnie Edwards, who will ply his trade at Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the 2024-25 term.
Carter White
