Everton Eyes Kyle Walker as Solution for Right-Back Dilemma

Everton’s search for a reliable right-back has led them firmly to Kyle Walker, with the club eyeing the veteran as the answer to a problem that has dragged on far too long.

Nathan Patterson has struggled to nail down the position and is edging towards the end of his contract. That uncertainty has forced David Moyes into makeshift solutions, including using centre-back Jake O’Brien on the right, a stopgap that underlines just how urgently Everton need a specialist in that area.

Walker ticks a lot of boxes. His versatility remains a major attraction. At Burnley, new boss Nicky Hayen has already experimented with him as the right-sided centre-back in a back three, a role Walker knows inside out from his time under Gareth Southgate with England. He can still overlap, still defend space, still marshal a back line. For a club trying to solidify its defence, that kind of profile is rare.

And there’s the pull of the Premier League. Walker is back in the Championship with Burnley, but the chance to return to the top flight, to test himself again at that level, could be difficult to ignore. Everton are not limiting themselves to one option either; Celtic’s Alistair Johnston and Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz are also being monitored as they look to inject competition and depth on that flank.

For now, though, Walker is no fringe figure at Turf Moor. He has been a vocal and visible leader in Burnley’s pre-season work, setting standards on and off the pitch. He captained the side in their recent Carabao Cup win over Notts County, then stepped up in the shootout and buried the decisive penalty with the calm of a man who has lived these moments for over a decade.

He has already nailed his colours to Burnley’s mast publicly. Speaking at the EFL media day, Walker framed this phase of his career as a mission rather than a wind-down. “It's a different challenge for me personally but it's all about the club and bouncing back to the Premier League - that is vital. It's about your mentality,” he said, underlining that he sees Burnley’s promotion push as a serious, collective project.

Any suggestion that he is winding down or easing out of the game has been met head-on. Walker recently delivered a pointed response to those who question whether he can still live with younger, quicker forwards in the Championship. He acknowledged the online culture that circles older players, but refused to accept the role of an easy target.

“I think they try to create, what are they called… memes now. They’ll try and create memes out of me, but I can assure you I am not becoming anyone’s meme,” he said. The message was clear: he’s not here for nostalgia; he’s here to compete.

“So when you come against me, I'll give it 100 percent. If you beat me on the day, you know, you shake hands at the end of the game, and you say it's a good game. I'm not rolling out anything to become a meme.”

That defiance is exactly what makes him so appealing to a club like Everton, who are trying to rebuild their defensive identity with hardened characters. Burnley, though, see the same qualities as central to their own promotion fight.

So the question hangs over the season: does Walker lead Burnley back to the Premier League, or does he walk through the door at Goodison Park to try and steady Everton’s right flank instead?