Kyle Walker has revealed that he was close to joining a rival Premier League club just before his move to Manchester City.
The England international, who has established himself as one of the league’s best-ever full-backs, disclosed that another top-flight team was interested in signing him shortly before his £45 million switch to City in 2017.
Walker’s stellar Premier League career began at Tottenham, where he broke into the first team in 2011 and became a key player in Spurs’ defense.
His impressive form earned him a move to Manchester City, where he has since won six league titles and was appointed club captain at the start of last season.
However, Walker’s trajectory could have been different if the rival club had secured his signature.
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The 34-year-old’s revelation sheds light on a fascinating what-if scenario, leaving fans to wonder how his career would have unfolded if he had joined a different team.”
‘At that time [just before I joined City], Chelsea was definitely wanting me,’ Walker said on the latest episode of You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker.
However, the defender said that two key factors would have prevented him making the switch across London to join the Blues.
‘With everything that went on over the last number of years with us battling for the titles and battle at the Bridge as well,
I didn’t fancy going there because I have a lot of respect for Tottenham and I didn’t really want to be the next Sol Campbell,’ he said.
‘I didn’t want to do that.’
Earlier this summer, however, Walker did almost pull the curtain down on his City career when Bayern Munich approached him with a lucrative offer.
Ultimately, the defender chose to sign a new, improved deal to remain in England but, at the time, admitted it was a close call.
‘It was close but in football, things can happen. Decisions can be made. Things can turn. It wasn’t meant to be,’ he said.
‘Would I have enjoyed the experience? Of course I would have done. But this club is a great club and you can’t underestimate what this club has done in the last six or seven years.
“In the back of my head I always wanted to play for Man City, but I had to do what was right for me and my future and that was just whichever club gave me the most years.’
