Burnley set to sign Manchester City’s Kyle Walker | OneFootball

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker is closing in on a permanent move to Burnley, according to reports.

The veteran defender has returned to Pep Guardiola’s side after a six-month loan with Serie A giants AC Milan, who had negotiated an option to buy as part of their loan agreement for the experienced right-back last January.

The deal to move to San Siro was largely completed through the hard work of Zlatan Ibrahimovic behind the scenes, while Walker himself is believed to have pushed for a move at the midway stage of the season.

In what was a difficult campaign for Walker both on and off the pitch with personal issues well reported in British tabloid newspapers, a fresh start away from Manchester was viewed internally as the best solution for all involved.

However, having failed to impress during his time with AC Milan, Walker failed to convince officials at the Italian club to invest in a permanent transfer of his services, thus forcing a reunion with Manchester City, albeit very temporarily this summer.

With Kyle Walker and his representatives seeking new opportunities, particularly those of a permanent nature, at the top of the European game, it appears as though a Premier League switch is now on the agenda for arguably the English top-flight’s greatest-ever right-back.

According to the information of The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Burnley are now closing in on the permanent signing of Kyle Walker from Manchester City, bringing a formal end to an illustrious stay at the Etihad Stadium.

The 35-year-old is said to be now undertaking medical checks before putting pen to paper on a proposed two-year contract in a deal that could be worth up to £5 million if bonuses are achieved.

As for Manchester City, with the England international being among the highest earners at the club, Walker’s exit could save them up to a package in the region of £10 million.

Hugo Viana and Manchester City are believed to still be in the market for a new right-sided full-back this summer and have identified Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento as their priority option for the role.

However, a deal with the North-East club is expected to be very difficult to complete, with officials working around Eddie Howe’s squad expected to seek a fee north of £70 million for the recently-crowned Under-21 European Championship winner with England.