Sheffield United 'gut feeling' on Kyle Walker return - 'it's a real shame' | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit shares their thoughts on the potential return of Kyle Walker

Sheffield United are in for a big summer rebuild under Chris Wilder, as one particular player is bound to be continuously linked with a return to the Blades over the coming weeks and months.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder will be keen to get stuck into the upcoming transfer window ahead of reshaping the Blades squad.

The 56-year-old was dismissed at the end of last season following defeat to Sunderland in the play-off final, giving Ruben Selles full reign to conduct business in the previous summer window, a decision almost everyone likely regrets.

Selles was dismissed after just six games, losing all of them, and by the time Wilder returned to the helm, the window was over, and the damage was already done.

The Sheffield native did a solid job at guiding the club to safety despite the losses of Kieffer Moore, Vinicius Souza, and Anel Ahmedhodzic, each of whom were integral to the Blades' play-off finish the year prior, whilst the likes of Mark McGuinness, Tahith Chong, and Chiedozie Ogbene did little to mitigate the losses.

Wilder will be keen to tear up the Blades squad and rebuild from scratch despite the loss of parachute payments, as one rumoured move continues to persist, and likely will continue to do so over the summer.

Burnley defender Kyle Walker has been linked with a return to Sheffield United this summer

Burnley right-back Kyle Walker came through the ranks at Sheffield United as a teenager and has gone on to have a star-studded career.

Over 440 Premier League appearances for the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Burnley, 96 caps for England, a spell in Italy with AC Milan, six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, the Sheffield native hasn't had a boring career, to say the least.

Now, Walker, 36, is in the latter stages of his career, and having just suffered relegation to the second tier at Turf Moor, murmurs of a return to his boyhood club have continued to persist, though one major stumbling block is preventing the formality.

Football League World's Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy from Blades Ramble, has shared their thoughts on the club's links to Kyle Walker, whether he thinks the right-back would be willing to return to Bramall Lane again, and what it would take to get a deal done.

Jimmy said: "[My] gut feeling is no, I don't think he will.

"It's a real shame, because Kyle Walker offers us everything that we need at the moment. He's experienced, he's a huge influence. Wilder talks about culture carriers; he would be an almost perfect addition to us.

"We know that we're not getting peak Kyle Walker, but in terms of what he could bring to our dressing room and our club, it'd be a brilliant signing and a real statement signing to say that, even though we're losing parachute payments, that we still mean business.

"However, I just don't think we'll be able to get close enough to the deal. I think all parties probably want it to happen. Sheffield United, I'm sure Kyle Walker wants it to happen, and even Burnley might want to get him off the wage bill.

"But I don't think we'll be able to get anywhere close to what he's currently on at Burnley, and it'll ultimately depend on whether he's willing to take enough of a wage cut to come."

Chris Wilder and Kyle Walker want Sheffield United return but Burnley wages create a stumbling block

Neither Walker nor Wilder have made it a secret of their desire to reunite at Sheffield United, but his estimated wages of £75,000 per week, according to Capology, create an obvious problem in any move materialising.

Burnley may be keen to shift his wage off their books, but for a move to Bramall Lane to become at all an option, Walker would need to massively subsidie his current salary demands, something which is not clear whether he is willing to do at this stage.

When asked previously about a potential return to Bramall Lane, Walker said: "I still feel good, and I've got a contract. I've got a contract [at Burnley], so I need to warrant the contract.

"I signed here, knowing that it would be difficult. Knowing that there was a potential and the possibility of going down. I think I've made it very clear, my dream of Sheffield United, but I'm a Burnley player."

Wilder, too, has been extremely open about his desire to make Walker a Blade before the end of his career, saying: "I think the world of him.

"He's a top player and he's already said he wants to finish what has been a brilliant career back at Sheffield United. Don't count against it. He's got my number and ... he’s welcome back here anytime."