'Easy for Sheffield United at some stage' - Digging deep into those Kyle Walker/Man City transfer reports

Not impossible. The England and Manchester City full-back, a lifelong Blade, has made no secret of the fact he wants to finish his career at the club where it all started 15 years ago.

But whether he is ready to cut his ties with the Etihad Stadium just yet, given that he is aged 33, remains open to debate. Particularly given that Pep Guardiola’s squad has just won the treble, adding the Champions League trophy to the Premier League title and FA Cup following last weekend’s meeting with Internazionale, which Walker started on the bench.

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Still, despite the obvious obstacles between United and his signature, that hasn’t stopped one major news outlet insisting the deal is ‘a go’er’ and prompting others, as they chase internet clicks rather than the truth, from immediately jumping on board and recycling it.

Ignoring the financial problems Paul Heckingbottom’s employers must overcome in order to pursue an interest in a player reportedly earning around £160,000 a week, Walker could - indeed should - be a target. He’s experienced at the highest level, having left United for Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 before moving to the North-West nearly a decade later. And Heckingbottom needs top-flight knowledge, having seen captain Billy Sharp and Enda Stevens depart following last season’s promotion from the Championship.

Walker is good too. Extremely good in fact, winning 14 major trophies since joining City for a £50m fee. Which means he might, with the emphasis on might, now be tempted to try and accept an equally arduous challenge: Helping United stay up.

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On a purely emotional level, Walker and the team he supports are a marriage made in heaven. A relationship which works for both parties involved, particularly for the latter as they attempt to establish a foothold in the richest league on earth.

But the monetary side of things is impossible to overlook. Supposedly disillusioned with his lack of playing time of late - and Guardiola’s decision to name him on the bench for City’s visit to Istanbul - Walker is likely to command top dollar should he actually become available. Both in terms of his transfer fee and wages, although Guardiola could instruct his paymasters to do the lad a favour by artificially lowering the first and recompensing him for any loss of the latter should Walker’s head for the exit door. ‘Could’ with a capital ‘c’.

Teams in Saudi Arabia, where United owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s fellow countrymen are aggressively trying to build a competition which rivals the PL, La Liga and also Serie A, would have no problem stumping up the cash to purchase Walker and then match his salary without any assistance from City. Which, on a purely professional level, puts United at an extreme disadvantage if he suddenly becomes available. Even if Walker does, and displays no inclination to head to the Middle East, plenty of other outfits at home and abroad could outbid negotiators acting on Heckingbottom’s behalf. It must be remembered that, barring an injection of outside investment or sudden takeover, United’s manager and his coaching staff are said to have only around £20m to spend to build a squad capable of competing in the PL.

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Although he appears to be motivated by sporting concerns rather than pound notes, Walker will still have an idea of his own professional worth. James McAtee, on loan from City, was understood to be among the highest earners at United after following Tommy Doyle there in July. Which reveals the gulf in resources between them and Guardiola’s paymasters. Plus the fact that Heckingbottom does not have the wherewithal to offer lucrative packages.

Intriguingly, however, Prince Abdullah and his directors have history when it comes to rewriting budgets. But only when the target in question piques their interest. And not quite to this degree. Sander Berge cost exactly the same amount Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder had been promised for recruitment midway through United’s first season in the top-flight under his stewardship. Twelve months later, as his relationship with the board began to deteriorate, The Star has been told that Wilder was informed United’s hierarchy were interested in borrowing Marcos Rojo from Manchester United even though a deal could potentially cost around £100,000 a week.

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Times have changed. United’s budget is clearly limited. They aren’t in a position to consider lavishing a sum like that again. But it must be noted that the people above Heckingbottom have been willing to divert from supposedly concrete plans before.

Walker, despite his calibre, does not fit within the profile Heckingbottom has devised for his targets. But, if a scenario does arise whereby a deal becomes possible, quality will outweigh any concerns about that. Even so, there are numerous obstacles to overcome before United even reach that stage. Many of them are seemingly insurmountable.

Remembering that the scenarios being bandied about remain hypothetical, Walker might also decide that his time as an elite-elite level footballer isn’t over yet. This, if his time with City is over, could convince him to chase more silverware on the continent - temporarily placing his desire to retire at United on hold until it becomes clear what division they will be in the campaign after next.

Considering all aspects of the picture, one suspects Walker is most likely to still be wearing City colours when he makes his next appearance at Bramall Lane; August’s clash with Guardiola’s men following the release of the new fixture calendar.

But as is always the case when it comes to such matters, the player will ultimately decide how things unfold. At some point, United will find acquiring Walker an easy agreement to strike. When that happens depends on two things: Cash and, more importantly given his determination to represent United again, timing.

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