According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Serie A side AC Milan are in advanced talks to acquire Kyle Walker from Manchester City and have agreed to personal terms on a new deal that will last through the 2026/27 season.
With Walker set to exit the Etihad after a poor European Championship and an even worse first half of the 2024/25 Premier League season, it’s time to take a look at five replacements Manchester City could sign at right back.
Achraf Hakimi, PSG
Achraf Hakimi would be a dream signing for Manchester City, because he can play as a right back or an inverted left back, with the latter being a positional role that Pep Guardiola perfected in the modern game.
PSG’s best player now that Kylian Mbappe is gone, Hakimi’s talents are being wasted on a dysfunctional team that cannot make full use of a his creative capacities, and he has most impressively improved significantly as a defender over the years in Paris.
A former Serie A champion with Inter Milan, Hakimi has achieved success at any club he has gone to, and with his contract coming to an end in 2026, Hakimi could be a particularly strong transfer coup for Manchester City and the UAE over Qatar and PSG.
Daniel Munoz, Crystal Palace
Daniel Munoz is one of the best right backs in the Premier League despite being tremendously underrated. He is averaging a whopping 3.8 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game as one of the most active right backs in world football defensively, winning possession with the frequency of a defensive midfielder.
Manchester City could use a great defensive right back who can aggressively win possession, especially if they go with a more attacking option at left back, with Juventus youngster Andrea Cambiaso standing out as their current top target.
Of course, Munoz isn’t a slouch offensively either, as he’s been able to average 1.3 key passes per game for Crystal Palace in the Premier League and previously had a great scoring record at Genk in the Belgian league, including eight goals and five assists in his final full season.
Vanderson, Monaco
It is surprising to see that Vanderson hasn’t joined an elite club in European football yet, though Monaco are a Champions League darkhorse in their own right with a strong squad of young talent in the 2024/25 season.
Vanderson has been courted by Barcelona, whose sporting director Deco is his former agent, but it seems like a move to Manchester City would be more logical. They may not miss a beat offensively or defensively from prime Walker if Vanderson fulfills his potential, and it feels like a coach of Guardiola’s caliber is what is missing to truly unlock the Brazilian fullback.
Since coming to Ligue 1 as a 20-year-old in the 2021/22 season, Vanderson has been one of the best right backs in European football and a hidden gem. He should be a transfer bargain for the Citizens and is currently in the 98th percentile for tackles and 99th percentile for interceptions while also being in the 90th percentile in non-penalty xG at his position.
Kenny Tete, Fulham
All the hype is around Trent Alexander-Arnold as the biggest-name impending free agent right back, but there’s really no chance he leaves Liverpool for Real Madrid or any other club.
Meanwhile, two of the other best right backs in the Premier League this season can be available for a free transfer, and that includes 29-year-old Fulham standout Kenny Tete.
A clear upgrade over the severely declined Walker, Tete is a solid two-way fullback who progresses possession, creates chances, doesn’t make mistakes, and works hard to win the ball.
Ola Aina, Nottingham Forest
Likewise, Ola Aina is an impending free agent if Nottingham Forest can’t secure a new contract for him, but with rumors that Forest are about to trigger a one-year contract extension for the 28-year-old right back, a free transfer for the Nigerian international may be off the table.
That said, that one-year extension may just be a way for Forest to be able to sell Aina without losing him for free, and if Manchester City come knocking with enough cash – it shouldn’t take THAT much – and a starting opportunity for a player, it will be hard for both Forest and Aina to say no.
Of course, Forest have been a better team than City this season, and while that may help the underdog Premier League side hold off the transfer challenge from the perennial champions, long-term, a move to Man City would be a dream one for Aina’s career. He would never get this opportunity again.
