Tottenham Hotspur are bracing themselves for the exit of Kyle Walker. The full-back has been a target for Manchester City for a while, and it was reported earlier this month that he was one of the foremost names on Pep Guardiola’s priority list. The Citizens are going to spend £40 million to bring Walker to the blue half of Manchester.
According to Sky Sports, Spurs may be considering Porto right-back Ricard Pereira as a replacement. They do have Kieran Trippier in the side who has done more than just a passable job for filling in for Walker when required. But Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in reinforcements for the departing Englishman, and club scouts have been tracking Pereira for the last two seasons now. The player has a release clause of £22 million.
Walker was voted in the PFA Team of the Year last season in the right-back position. His blistering pace was a constant threat to every opposition. Along with Danny Rose at left-back, he added another dimension to Spurs’ game in the wide areas. They were almost impossible to defend against when on song, scoring 86 goals in the league last season.
It is imperative that Spurs don’t lost that side to their game. Pereira is known for his pace going forward, and Pochettino identifies him as the ideal replacement. At £22 million, the 23 year-old could well prove to be a bargain if he can stay for the long haul. He spent the last two seasons on loan at Nice, making 57 appearances and scoring 2 goals in all competitions. He has been capped by the Portuguese national side twice.
He can also play as a winger, and could therefore be a perfect fit at wing-back if Pochettino decides to go with a 3-man defence. According to the report, Spurs will face competition from Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain for the player.
Spurs will kick off their season away at Newcastle United before playing their first home game at Wembley against defending champions Chelsea.
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