ESPN pundit says £45m defender who used to play for Tottenham is now ‘one of the best in the world’ 

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Nedum Onuoha has claimed that former Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker is now ‘one of the best’ full-backs in world football.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Onuoha discussed the England star’s development under Pep Guardiola.

Kyle Walker was a fan-favourite at Spurs before sealing a switch to the Etihad Stadium back in 2017.

Tottenham received a fee worth around £45 million and it’s no secret they have struggled to find a suitable replacement since.

But while Walker excelled during his time in North London under Mauricio Pochettino, not many would have predicted he’d become such a well-rounded player at City.

Even Gary Lineker baulked at his price tag at the time but has since admitted that he was completely wrong.

Now, Nedum Onuoha has claimed that Walker is one of the most improved players during the Guardiola era at City.

Onuoha says former Tottenham star Walker is one of the world’s best

The former City defender was quizzed on who he thinks has improved the most under Guardiola’s guidance.

And Onuoha didn’t hesitate to mention Walker, labelling him as one of the world’s best full-backs.

“To start with, this is sleepwalk but Kyle Walker,” he said. “I thought maybe he wouldn’t be someone that thrived and become someone that’s perceived as one of the best full-backs in the world.”

Fellow pundit Steve Nicol agreed and admitted he was initially unsure whether Walker would fit into Guardiola’s system.

“I wasn’t sure Kyle Walker was going to fit into this ultra-passing,” he said. “But he absolutely has. He’s become an integral part of it.”

Walker has developed into one of the best full-backs in world football and at 33, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Spurs fans were fully aware of the defender’s potential after he starred under Pochettino at right-back, with Danny Rose also excelling on the opposite flank.

While Tottenham had failed to replace Walker after his departure, they seem to have found a player in Pedro Porro who has plenty of upside.