Kyle Walker posts Burnley training ground message after terms agreed
Burnley’s newest defensive signing Kyle Walker has quickly settled in as pre-season training begins at Turf Moor.
The Clarets have spent big after their promotion to the Premier League with an outlay of over £63million so far, over half of which was shelled out to seal permanent transfers for four of last season’s loanees.
Bashir Humphreys is one member of that quartet and has been signed from Chelsea for £10m, while Quilindschy Hartman and Axel Tuanzebe also strengthened Burnley‘s defence ahead of Walker’s arrival.
Walker’s £5m transfer from Man City comes after he was loaned out to AC Milan for the second half of last season, but the nature of his move to a newly-promoted side like Burnley has raised some questions.
Burnley deliver Kyle Walker message after cut-price Man City deal
Scott Parker is preparing for a relegation battle next season, but Man City’s former financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Walker still took a pay cut to force through his move to Burnley.
Ex-Everton CEO Keith Wyness stated that even with this factored in, Man City are still paying a portion of Walker’s wages at Turf Moor after his switch from a £200,000-per-week contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Walker hasn’t experienced a relegation battle since a loan spell at Northampton Town back in 2008/09, but has already begun preparations for his new environment with the Clarets with pre-season underway.
Burnley posted a collage of photos on Instagram (15 June) of their players in training with the caption of: “No holding back”, and Walker shared this post to his own story with a ‘lifting weights’ emoji.
Burnley business to continue after statement Walker signing
Football Insider Verdict
Although Burnley won 100 points to win automatic promotion from the Championship last season and conceded a record low of just 16 goals, Parker has been quick to bolster his backline even further so far.
Second-tier champions Leeds have also focused their early recruitment in defence, a stark contrast to the approach taken by play-off winners Sunderland with over £100m spent on midfielders and wingers.
James Trafford’s potential £40m move to Newcastle could soon be completed and would leave Burnley with a huge hole to fill at the back, but Parker will hope that Walker’s arrival can provide the steel and experience needed at Turf Moor.