10 dumbest signings of the summer
By Ty Finch
Kyle Walker – Manchester City
Pep Guardiola clearly was not happy with his full-backs last season. Gael Clichy and Pablo Zabaleta were allowed to leave City for free while Bacary Sagna retired. So Guardiola replaced the trio with a flurry of moves in the summer.
Three of the top five transfer deals for City were full-backs. They signed left-back Benjamin Mendy from Monaco for £52 million. Right-back Danilo arrived from Real Madrid for a reported fee of £27 million. And then there was Kyle Walker, the 27-yea- old right-back who could cost the club up to £53 million.
Walker is not only the most expensive English player ever, he’s the most expensive defender in history as well. Let that sink in.
In this new market, cash is being splashed around by clubs with little regard. The going rate for a starting XI quality player is north of £25 million, whereas even five years ago that would have broken many club’s transfer record. Even in this market, where a 20-year-old can cost £135 million the £53 million City spent on Walker is absurd.
Most players on this list are talented individuals. Walker is no exception, especially considering the lack of option at the position City had before the summer. But is he really worth the transfer fee? Is he worth almost double what City paid for Danilo, who plays the same position?
Unless Guardiola has a master plan to use two right-backs in a formation at once (not out of the question), Walker’s signing does not make a whole lot of sense. City needed options at the position, but sinking almost £80 million into it seems like overkill.