The right-back could leave Man City this summer.
Aston Villa would be a good fit for Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
Will Walker leave Man City?
The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career at club level, winning four Premier League titles during his time at City and arguably becoming one of the best players in his position in the competition’s history. This season has been a harder one for him, however, and it has become increasingly apparent that he is no longer a key starter.
Only 15 league starts have come Walkers’s way in 2022/23 to date, but a lot of those were earlier in the campaign and he has not often featured in recent weeks, even though he played all 90 minutes against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.
With the £160,000-a-week Englishman’s current deal expiring in 2024, this summer could be the last opportunity for City to get good money for him, or risk losing him on a free transfer next year. He has been linked with a move to Villa, as Unai Emery eyes up strong summer signings.
Are Villa the ideal club for Walker?
Reacting to the rumours in a chat with Give Me Sport, Crooks talked up the idea of Walker moving to Villa Park at the end of the season, saying it would be a good fit:
“Sheffield United might be an interesting one for him. He started there, didn’t he? And if they come into the Premier League, I wonder if they might try and have a go.
“But Villa would be a good move because I think they’re going to back (Unai) Emery in the summer. They might well manage to sneak into a European place, too.”
Walker could be a brilliant signing by Villa in the summer transfer window, possessing a winning mentality that is outlined by his aforementioned Premier League trophy tally, not to mention having a wealth of experience at this point in his career, racking up 75 caps for England.
There is an argument to say that the defender’s best days may just be behind him, hence him losing his place in City’s team, but he remains a top-level footballer – one who has been lauded as “frighteningly quick” by Troy Deeney in the past. Emery will want experience and nous in his squad this summer and Walker could be the man to provide it, lifting players around him and putting his combination of pace and power to good use.
