Kyle Walker has already made his Sheffield United feelings clear as fresh link emerges

The future of Man City and England defender Kyle Walker is once again in doubt as reports emerged that the Premier League champions are considering off-loading the veteran.

Much has been made of City’s aging squad and with Pep Guardiola’s side currently enduring a mid-season slump in form that has placed them 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool, there is already speculation of a summer rebuild at the Etihad.

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Walker is one player whose name has been mentioned alongside a possible exit, with Talksport reporting that City could be prepared to let the 34-year-old leave in the summer.

One of the best full-backs of his generation, Walker is certain to have plenty of offers, even though he will turn 25 just after the close of this campaign. The Sharrow-raised former Tottenham man is already understood to have big-money interested parties in Saudi and the US.

The cash on offer in Saudi is sure to be tempting but Walker is already on record as saying he wants to finish his career where it started - at Bramall Lane.

The tax-free sums available in the Middle East come with a caveat that a player must remain there for at least two years to benefit, which would make Walker 37 years-old before being able to fulfil that dream of joining the Blades.

It’s not been a secret that Walker has ambitions to see out a hugely successful career at United and twice this year, on different platforms, he has spoken about it.

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“I don’t want to drop down too low because, no disrespect, but I feel the lower it gets, I think it gets harder,” he told Rio Ferdianand’s FIVE podcast. “Certain things that you have the luxury of at City, whether facilities, nutrition, this, that or the other. But I’d like to finish at Sheffield United. That’s something that I would actually like to do.

“I was there from such a young age until that until I went to Tottenham and I only played five [league] games before I went to Tottenham, and then went back on loan for half a season. So I think I’ve got like 35 games and I’d like to go for as long as possible, to give back or even pass on my experience to the younger players that are coming through or players that are there then. If I can do that, then I’d like to, yeah.”

Then, in September, on his own BBC podcast ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’ he reiterated the stance: “That would be the icing on the cake for me [finishing his career at Sheffield United]. I wouldn’t even mind if I didn’t play. Just to be there and pass on the knowledge that I have, the games that I played in and to help other people.

“I’d like to put on the shirt one and run out onto the pitch, of course I would.”