After a disappointing season that only yielded the Copa del Rey, Barcelona are keen on the lookout for several signings who will be able to help the club dethrone Real Madrid in the La Liga and the Champions League. The club has several areas to strengthen and it is believed that right back is one of the places where new boss Ernesto Valverde believes significant improvement can be made. Surprisingly, Tottenham defender Kyle Walker has now been linked (Sport English) with Barcelona and he was even spotted in the Catalan city.
This has increased transfer rumours surrounding Walker, who is widely expected to leave Spurs in the summer. At 27 years of age, he has proven his quality over several years of playing in the Premier league. His performances have been tremendous especially in the last couple of years, and Barcelona have identified Walker as the ideal replacement for Dani Alves on the long run. Much of the success achieved by Barcelona in the last decade has been down to the brilliance of Dani Alves and his raiding runs from the right back position. After letting him leave on a free transfer, Barcelona immediately witnessed a slump in form and trophies.
Walker is a pacey right back who can also contribute to a team on the offensive side of things. Such attributes have seen him linked with Manchester City, who are ironically managed by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. It is believed that City are ready to pay around £40 million in order to secure the signing of Walker (The Sun). However, the entry of Barcelona could make a significant difference to the future destination of the England international. Sport English has pictured Walker in the Catalan city apparently enjoying his holidays, but there could also be a major twist in the tale.
Barcelona’s sporting director Robert Fernandez heaped praise on the player by saying that Walker is the kind of right back that the club are looking at right now. However, Fernandez ruled out the possibility of getting in touch with Tottenham in order to sign the player. The refusals can only be regarded as temporary, as Barcelona are believed to be working behind as it seems in order to put a formal offer for the player before the pre-season begins.
