'No point pretending' - Martin admission on future of Southampton star

The two-time England international was named in the Championship's official team of the season at the EFL awards ceremony on Sunday.

Walker-Peters, 27, has made 38 league appearances for Saints this campaign, missing two through injury and left out of a further one.

Saints were able to retain his services despite relegation from the Premier League - but Martin suggests they cannot repeat the trick. 

Speaking to the Daily Echo, he said: "I think if we get promoted it becomes a lot easier to keep him.

Russell Martin spoke to the media ahead of the visit from Preston (Image: PA)

"If we don't, we won't keep hold of Kyle. There's no point in pretending otherwise really, financially for the club and Kyle's ambitions as well.

"Kyle was great, he didn't kick up one fuss this summer. There was a bit of interest but not enough to tempt him or the club into him leaving. 

"He dealt with it professionally and really well which is why he's having such a good season, at no point did he not try and give everything.

"We have to get promoted to keep a lot of these guys together. That's the fact," Martin continued.

"If not, then my job will become different in the summer in terms of how the squad looks and the people we have.

"No matter how much effort we put in to keep Kyle, which we will, it will come down to finance and Kyle's ambition as well.

"The best solution is for us to get promoted to the Premier League altogether and then it becomes less of an issue." 

Walker-Peters is under contract at Saints until summer 2025, meaning he will enter the last 12 months of his deal at the end of the season.

Martin insists no player is "too good" for the Championship but credits the consistent performances of Walker-Peters this campaign. 

Kyle Walker-Peters pictured alongside the rest of the Championship's EFL awards recipients (Image: Shutterstock / EFL)

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender was the only Saints player named in the division's team of the season. 

"He's just a brilliant, brilliant footballer. Intelligent footballer. Technically really gifted," Martin explained.

"He's really brave with the ball, can do a lot of things with it and I think he's been really important for us.

"I was surprised it was only Kyle in there. Adam Armstrong maybe could feel hard done by, Taylor Harwood-Bellis as well.

"Jan Bednarek. They've been so consistent, but it is what it is. The lads applauded Kyle this morning on the training pitch. It's good for him.

"It's good for the club. And now he needs to top it off by achieving what we set out to achieve at the start of the season."