Report: Manchester City to sign Kyle Walker

Manchester City are willing to pay Tottenham £50 million to secure the signature of the England international right-back.

The Daily Telegraph are reporting that Pep Guardiola is willing to spend a record amount on obtaining the services of Kyle Walker. The Spurs right-back will reportedly cost the Citizens a cool £50 million.

Transfer fees in England are going through the roof this summer, but this is a remarkable fee to pay for a right-back. According to the Transfermarkt website, no team in the Premier League has ever paid £18 million for a right-back, never mind £50 million.

There have been £30 million left-backs, but no fullback on either side comes close to the fee for Walker. Only six players in any position have cost English clubs more, which really puts the Walker deal into remarkable context.

City were heavily linked with Dani Alves of Juventus. The Brazilian, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, opted to join Paris Saint-Germain, though. This left City needing to look elsewhere, and Walker is clearly their choice.

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With a record deal of this nature, it’s impossible to accurately gauge if it will prove to be good value. As Walker recently turned 27, City won’t recoup much against the mammoth fee if he leaves in a few years time.

He’s also unlikely to contribute goals. Since 2009-10, Walker has scored just four goals in the league or Europe for Spurs. Seamus Coleman, as an example, scored that many in the Premier League last season alone.

He did have a good season on the assist front, with five, and only three right-backs across Europe’s big five leagues played more key passes than he did. Irrespective of that, £50 million is an eye-watering fee for any right-back, and Walker will need to prove he can deliver in a big way from day one.