Bayern Munich have reportedly joined Barcelona in the race to sign Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.
According to a report in TransferMarketWeb, Kyle Walker has emerged a summer target for Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga heavyweights have now joined Barcelona in the race to sign the Tottenham Hotspur right-back.
Walker has evolved into one of the best fullbacks in the Premier League ever since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham in 2014. Till then, an attacking right-back who often struggled to match up defensively, his defensive instincts have improved significantly since the Argentine’s appointment at the helm at White Hart Lane.
Walker has even managed to usurp Nathaniel Clyne as the first-choice right-back for Gareth Southgate in the English squad. And 2016/17 has been one of his most fruitful seasons, with the 26-year-old putting in a big shift in defence while also registering 6 assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.
As his stock continues to rise, Walker is also beginning to capture the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Barcelona have already been heavily linked with a move for the England international, and the Catalan giants have now been joined by Bayern Munich in his pursuit.
Barcelona have failed to find a top quality replacement for Dani Alves following his departure from Camp Nou at the end of last season. Spanish midfielder Sergi Roberto has excelled in the position for large parts of the season, but he is being touted for a return to the centre of the park next season.
Backup option Aleix Vidal has failed to make much of an impression during his time with Barcelona, and as a result a long-term solution at right-back is being eyed by the club. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are in a similar predicament as far as the position is concerned.
Club captain Philipp Lahm is going to hang up his boots at the end of the season after enjoying 15 illustrious seasons with the Bavarian giants and the gap left by him needs to be filled up. Rafinha has been highly impressive in recent seasons at the Allianz Arena, but at 31 he does not have many years left at the top level.
Walker is only 26 years old right now, has his best years ahead of him and could prove to be a long-term solution as the right-back for both of the European heavyweights. In addition to that, the fact that Kieran Trippier has been favoured ahead of him in recent games could possibly see him lose his place as the first-choice right-back at Tottenham.
If that indeed happens, Walker could be persuaded to move on from the North London club come the end of the season. Manchester United and Manchester City have also previously shown an interest in him, and it remains to be seen if they spring into action to battle Bayern and Barcelona for Walker in the summer.
