Kyle Walker set to leave Tottenham Hotspur in the summer after falling out with Mauricio Pochettino, amidst growing interest from European elite clubs.
If a report from Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Independent is to be believed, then the 26-year-old England International believes that his immediate future lies away from White Hart Lane and will look to move in the summer, after once again being left out of the starting XI.
Walker played only 2 minutes of Spurs’ victory over Arsenal at White Hart Lane, coming on as a late substitute. While he has been their first choice right-back for the majority of the season, Walker has found himself vying for places with Kieran Trippier in recent weeks.
As per ESPN, Kieran Trippier will also be offered a new and improved long term contract in the coming weeks to keep him at the club, fueling speculation of Kyle Walker’s summer departure.
According to the report by the Independent, this is due to disagreements with manager Mauricio Pochettino over his fitness levels and performances in training. Pochettino isn’t entirely convinced that Walker can play 2 full games a week, something he disagrees with.
Walker has also been dropped for crucial midweek Champions League Group games against Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen, before they got knocked out and most recently, he was left out of the starting XI against Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi-final and their victory against Arsenal.
Currently in the peak of his career, Walker is reportedly courting interest from the biggest clubs across Europe with both Manchester City and Manchester United reportedly interested in acquiring his services as well as La Liga Champions Barcelona.
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has tried and failed to come to a decision on his back four and it is likely that there will be a defensive overhaul taking place at the Etihad in the coming summer, while Jose Mourinho would also like to have a Premier League proven full back in his squad.
The Red Devils have struggled with injuries throughout the campaign will the fullback and wingback positions being a key area that will need to be addressed in the summer. Barcelona are still looking for a replacement for Dani Alves and while their first choice is Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin, Kyle Walker perhaps comes closest to the Brazilian legend in terms of playing style.
Besides the aforementioned trio, Real Madrid were reported to have joined the list of possible suitors for the Englishman. with Dani Carvajal the undisputed right-back at the club, there is a need for competition and some depth in that position in the squad.
Bayern Munich also emerged as potential destination for Walker as it was reported a few weeks back that they have joined the race for his signature. With Philipp Lahm set to hang up his boots at the end of the campaign, Walker is seen as an ideal candidate to replace him.
The England International will be well aware of the aforementioned clubs’ ability to pay far greater wages than the reported £70,000 he currently pockets every week and the prospect of challenging for the Champions League season after a season is an opportunity a seldom few let slip.
Since he signed a brand new contract extension only in September last year, Daniel Levy & co will have the upper hand in negotiations and will reportedly command a fee of anywhere between £35 to £50 Million, which can later be invested in further strengthening the squad. Walker, who has 4 seasons left on his current contract, hasn’t officially handed in a transfer request just yet, but that seems a mere formality at this point.
