Kyle Walker may have bumped up Alexis Sanchez’s asking price (Pictures: Getty)

Kyle Walker has today become: The most expensive defender of all time, the most expensive Englishman of all time, and the 9th most expensive player in football history.

Manchester City will no doubt feel there is some justification in the fee – full-backs or wing-backs play an increasingly important role in the modern game, and are a position in which they are in desperately short supply after losing Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy all in one go at the end of last season. They also face the inevitable extra charges for signing one of their main title rivals’ most important players.

Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t all have a bit of a laugh about it, because, let’s face it – it’s Kyle Walker. While there are varying reports over both the initial fee and what it might end up as in add-ons, he’s almost certain to have cost more than Zinedine Zidane at his peak. Okay, so that was 2001, but it’s still more than Neymar and Mesut Ozil just four years ago. This summer, it’s more than Alexandre Lacazette, who to all intents and purposes looks a potentially world class striker.

Arsenal fans have certainly taken special notice of City’s latest piece of business, with the club’s pursuit of star player Alexis Sanchez known to pretty much everyone. It remains to be seen if a deal can be done this summer or if he’ll move on a free next year, but splashing out silly money on Walker won’t have done Pep Guardiola any favours.

Will these two be Man City team-mates next season? (Picture: Getty)
Will these two be Man City team-mates next season? (Picture: Getty)

Most expensive defenders ever

Kyle Walker – £50m*

David Luiz – £50m

John Stones – £47.5m

Eliaquim Mangala – £42m

Shkodran Mustafi – £35m

*add-ons reportedly likely to take it to £53-55m

If the fee of £50million for the England right-back is correct, that’s the same as Sanchez has been valued at by City in most recent transfer reports. He may only have a year left on his contract, but in no sane world is Alexis Sanchez worth the same amount as Kyle Walker, and don’t Arsenal fans know it.

As you can see from the tweets below, Gooners are now expecting a mammoth fee from City if they are to let their star player leave this summer, with results varying anywhere from £100m to £500m…

MORE : Video: Aaron Ramsey humiliates Alexandre Lacazette with nutmeg in Arsenal training

MORE : Kylian Mbappe unsure over Monaco stay after talks with Arsenal