According to various reports, Manchester City have put Tottenham Hotspur’s star full-back, Kyle Walker, as one of their top priorities for the summer. The English right-back has been in hot form this season and unlike his compatriot on the other flank, Walker has been relatively injury free.
The Manchester outfit has endured a largely fruitless season this campaign despite bringing in some very exciting talents last summer. Guardiola saw his side getting ousted from the FA Cup last weekend as Arsenal came back to win the semi-final 2-1 in the added extra time.
Apart from losing out of the title race quite early after having a blistering start to the season, City gradually lost out to Manchester United in the EFL Cup and Monaco in the Champions League. And Guardiola wouldn’t let it repeat under any condition next season. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is known to execute his philosophy most impeccably, only from the second season and City fans will surely keep their calm till then.
The defence has been a huge problem for City this season with the existing lot unable to adapt to Guardiola’s free flowing setup, which is in many ways an extension of Cruyff’s total football. The manager wants each of his players to be comfortable in every position, which is not a very easy thing to do, as we saw with Jesus Navas in the right-back’s role against Arsenal.
It is clear that manager has lost faith in the likes of Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta, and they are most unlikely to be in Guardiola’s grand scheme of things next season. And his sight on Walker pretty much explains things. The 26-year-old is eccentric in that position and can run up and down that flank in a flash.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has played him as a right-back, a right midfielder as well as a central midfielder, and Walker has managed to assist from all three positions. He looks ideal for Guardiola’s setup surely, although it is very difficult to land a direct rival’s player.
As per reports, City are going for a massive overhaul next season that would see most players, who had come during Manuel Pellegrini’s reign, go. Guardiola will also be handed a whopping £250million war chest to get his own set of players, as per reports.
It is also reported that the manager has asked for four players in the next transfer window, which would make City champions again.
