Gavin Bazunu, Kyle Walker-Peters and Che Adams: Southampton FC transfer dilemmas | OneFootball

As Southampton get their Christmas football underway, focus will slowly shift to the upcoming January transfer window.

The Saints are a side that is expected to be looking to do some activity in the next month, as they look to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Southampton were very busy in the summer, as manager Russell Martin had to deal with several departures.

The club saw key players leave to remain in the top flight, and that meant Martin and co. had to bring in suitable replacements.

Now, the Southampton boss will hope this next month is about what changes they can make rather than reacting to departures.

However, that might be easier said than done, as players are already being mentioned with early exits. So, here we have looked at three transfer dilemmas facing Southampton next month…

Gavin Bazunu

The Saints signed Bazunu in the summer of 2022 from Premier League side Manchester City.

The 21-year-old struggled to establish himself at City, but did impress during his spells at Rochdale and Portsmouth.

That was probably what earned him his move to Southampton, where he played 32 times for the club in the top flight, and while the team struggled, he did impress with his performances.

The Republic of Ireland international has continued to shine this season, as he’s been instrumental in the club's solid defence.

His performances for the Saints aren’t going unnoticed, with it being reported last month by Football Insider, that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for the player.

Spurs’ recruitment team regards the goalkeeper as a top prospect, and while the player may enjoy this news, it is a worry for Martin.

The Southampton boss will not want to lose his number one goalkeeper midway through the campaign, but if they were to receive a decent offer, it could mean the club have a tricky decision to make regarding his future. Furthermore, Southampton would probably need to find a suitable replacement before he leaves the club.

Kyle Walker-Peters

Again, similar to Bazunu, Kyle Walker-Peters is a player who has been impressing for the Saints this season and has therefore gained admirers from the league above.

At the time of writing, Walker-Peters has played and started all of the club’s 22 Championship games this season.

The 26-year-old found himself in and out of the team in the last couple of campaigns, but this season is firmly in Russell Martin's plans.

However, the Southampton boss will be hoping he can get through January without the defender leaving, as according to talkSPORT, West Ham are interested in signing the Southampton man.

The concern for Martin will be that the player only has a contract at the club until the end of next season, so January could be one of the club’s final chances of receiving a decent fee for the player.

Like Bazunu, if an offer was to come in that is tempting, it means the Saints may have to consider selling the full-back, as the player himself will likely be interested in the move.

Che Adams

Probably, out of these three dilemmas that Martin and Southampton face, Adams is the most important one.

This is because the centre-forward is entering the final six months of his contract at the club, and January could be their final chance of selling the player.

Southampton have offered the player a new three-year contract, but that has been on the table for a while now, and they are no clearer to an answer.

Furthermore, it has recently emerged that Burnley are interested in the player and are keen on doing a deal in January.

So, given his contract situation and Burnley’s interest, Southampton have a big dilemma in January, as they will need to decide whether to keep the player and hope he signs a new contract or sell him in January for the best offer they can get.