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Kyle Walker's pace has regularly been an asset for Manchester City
There is no escaping the fact that Kyle Walker's form has declined at an alarming rate over the last 12 months, but one attribute hasn't deserted the Manchester City right-back just yet, and that is his speed.
As Pep Guardiola put it back in March, will still be the fastest man in the room at 60. But pace alone is not good enough to survive at the Etihad, and the 35-year-old is set to leave the club this summer.
That leaves pondering their options at right-back. Rico Lewis remains a candidate for the role, but the red card he received against Wydad AC in the Club World Cup ruled him out for the rest of the tournament.
That opened the door for Matheus Nunes to continue his own progression in the position, but against Al Hilal, the Portuguese midfielder looked like what he is: a player being played out of position. Nunes might carry some attacking threat and have quality on the ball, but he doesn't look assured defensively.
With City now out of the Club World Cup, the focus will shift back to the transfer market, starting with trimming a squad that is far too big for Guardiola's tastes. Walker, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips, and James McAtee are all set to leave, and others could follow.
But in terms of incomings, right-back is uppermost in the thoughts of director of football Hugo Viana. Going into this season with Lewis and Nunes as the regular options in the position could result in a clear weakness.
Nunes was often exposed last season, and for all Lewis' potential, he still has designs on playing in midfield. He struggled last term, which is understandable for a young player suddenly finding himself in a team that had lost its mojo.
There is also a clear difference between those two players and Walker, which is the pace and physicality that the latter brings to the position. Lewis and Nunes interpret it very differently and are unlikely to win as many duels or as many foot races.
Walker was City's cheat code for so long. His incredible recovery pace allowed them to take risks, playing a high line and leaving space in behind, safe in the knowledge that he could regularly get back and bail them out of trouble.
That safety net is no longer there, and suddenly, this looks like a defence without much pace in it, which is clearly an issue when you are determined to play such a high line. Al Hilal regularly exposed this problem in Orlando on Monday, and the ease with which their pacey attackers started to get behind City would have set alarm bells ringing.
For all the quality of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, excellent ball-players who are commanding in the air and strong in the tackle, neither is particularly fast. Rayan Ait-Nouri is a little swifter across the ground, but he's not close to Walker's standard.
Abdukodir Khusanov is the defender who could match Walker in a foot race at City, and that pace that the 21-year-old has will get him opportunities in this team. Khusanov is a raw talent with plenty to improve on, but he made an impression after arriving in January and could even challenge for games at right-back if that area is strengthened.
But there is plenty of time to do just that before the window closes in eight weeks. Signing Tino Livramento from Newcastle might prove too difficult, but there should be other options out there.
As Viana scours the right-back market, it's clear pace is a key attribute when drawing up a shortlist. Very few players are as fast as Walker, but if City are to return to their best this season, they need an injection of speed at the back.
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