Man City could fill problem position with USA star and pave way for Walker exit
Manchester City could make a move for a USMNT defender who impressed for Fulham last season, paving the way for two possible departures this summer.
Left-back Antonee Robinson was a major component in the West London club's 10th place finish last term, playing 35 times in the Premier League as the promoted team defied the odds to become one of the surprise packages of the campaign. His performances for the Cottagers have not gone unnoticed, however, with several top European clubs now monitoring his availability.
Reports in Italy claim AC Milan and Marseille are vying for his signature this summer and could well compete with Pep Guardiola for the 25-year-old in the coming months. With the Premier League champions currently lacking a recognised senior left-back, a move for the 36-time US international would provide the Cityzens with another option in that position.
As per Goal, the Eastlands club has been linked with Robinson for a number of months, with his strong performances at the World Cup in Qatar last year also having enhanced his reputation. Currently utilising center half John Stones and youngster Rico Lewis in a hybrid role that allows them to push up into midfield, Robinson would provide Guardiola with a more traditional option in a position which has been lacking.
On top of this, any potential move could mean that the newly-crowned European champions may move on long serving full-back Kyle Walker. The England stalwart had been linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer, with Thomas Tuchel having set his sights on the 33-year-old, according to Sky Germany.
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Another player on Manchester City's books who may be moved on is Joao Cancelo, with the defender now appearing to be in limbo after an unsuccessful loan with the Bundesliga victors. The Portuguese left-back looks likely to depart the Etihad Stadium this summer, with Arsenal seemingly leading the race currently, as per Sky Sports.
This is not the first time the former Everton academy graduate Robinson has been linked with a move to AC Milan either, with the star having gone as far as undertaking a medical with the San Siro giants in 2020. At that point, he was turning out for Wigan Athletic, but his dream move was curtailed after tests revealed he was having ectopic heartbeats.
Kyle Walker ahead of Man City's trophy parade (Getty Images)With the medical having taken place on deadline day, Rossoneri president Paulo Maldini and other club officials were left with little option but to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute. He was all set to sign a deal to complete the transfer when the news was delivered to him that Milan would be pulling out.
With tests needing an additional three days to complete, it was explained to him that the Serie A giants had no option but to step away from the switch, In an interview with the Guardian back in February, Robinson explained the details of the failed transfer to Italy.
He said: “I was in hospital doing loads of tests and scans on my knees and back. They gave me a max exertion test on a Wattbike and were asking if I’d ever had any issues with my heart. I said: ‘No’ but then they sent me to another hospital to do another ECG and when they got the results they sent me to Milan’s headquarters.
DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 21: Antonee Robinson of USA is challenged by Gareth Bale of Wales during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on November 21, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)"My agent’s there with Maldini and all the higher-ups of Milan and I’m expecting to sign my deal but they said: ‘We can’t do a deal because something’s flagged up with your heart.’ It was deadline day and it would take a minimum of three days to find out the problem, so they couldn’t risk signing me.
He added: "When they went to do the operation they didn’t see any more insufficient heartbeats. They came to the conclusion that my heart’s sensitive to caffeine and I just needed to cut out coffee."
After making 108 appearances at Craven Cottage, it may now be the right time for a parting of ways and for Robinson to finally get his chance on the biggest stage at club level. It could well be that he gets his move to a European giant this summer.
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