Fabrizio Romano provides Kyle Walker transfer update after Saudi Arabia and Sheffield United comments

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has delivered a clear update on the future of Kyle Walker following comments made by the Manchester City captain in recent weeks.

The 32-year-old veteran defender has discussed his future in football at some length in recent weeks, opening up on the possibility of both a return to Sheffield United and the growing lure of the Saudi Arabian game.

Speaking during a recent conversation on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE podcast, Walker admitted that while he intends on continuing for as long as possible, dropping down the levels of professional football can often make things more difficult.

“As long as my legs are going and I feel I can contribute at a certain level,” Walker said. “I don’t want to drop too low, I think it gets harder – certain things you have the luxury of having at City – facilities or nutrition – but I’d like to finish at Sheffield United.”

The City captain was also quizzed on whether he would entertain any approaches made by Saudi Arabia in the coming months or years, to which he failed to deny, despite there being no interest from the Middle-East as of yet.

That is according to the information of Fabrizio Romano, who has confirmed that City’s mainstay right-back was ‘never close’ to making a switch to Saudi last summer, and it remains to be seen whether the project will make an approach for him in upcoming markets.

Romano does however make it clear that at the moment, Kyle Walker’s full focus is on Manchester City and their targets for this season, and the England international is not negotiating with any other club.

Discussing the prospect of Saudi Arabia during the same conversation with FIVE, Walker explained, “I’ll never say never. The money that they’re paying and everything is obviously a massive factor in why they’re going out there.”

He continued, “(Cristiano) Ronaldo opened the pathway for everyone to go there. If they keep attracting the player they’re attracting, the league will get better so why wouldn’t you want to go?

“But the Premier League is the best league in the world so I want to compete in this for as long and as high as possible.”

For now, Walker and his Manchester City teammates have clear but lofty ambitions of retaining their Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League Treble this season, with Real Madrid now awaiting in the quarter-final stage of the latter.