Over the years, Everton have missed out on signing some truly remarkable players, a fact that leaves fans wondering how the club’s trajectory might have changed had these world-class talents joined them at Goodison Park.
At one point, Erling Haaland nearly became a Toffee, while David Moyes once admitted the club couldn’t afford Eden Hazard, despite showing interest. More recently, Everton were in the running for Victor Boniface last summer before he moved to Bayer Leverkusen and led them to an unbeaten run in the Bundesliga.
Another name to add to that list of near-misses is Kyle Walker.
### Kyle Walker Reveals Why He Didn’t Sign for Everton
Speaking on his podcast with former Everton captain Phil Jagielka, Walker revealed a surprising story about almost joining the Toffees. He said: “I was close to signing for Everton before I signed for Tottenham. Just to let you know.”
When asked who the manager was at the time, Walker confirmed it was David Moyes. But what swayed his decision was how Everton treated his teammate Kyle Naughton.
Walker explained: “Naughts went to Moyes’ house, and he never invited me. So I went down to Tottenham, and I thought, ‘Okay, they like me more,’ so I signed for Spurs.”
### Could Walker Have Solved Everton’s Right-Back Dilemma?
While both Walker and Seamus Coleman have been Premier League stalwarts, Walker’s superior fitness and athleticism have made him more consistently available than Coleman, particularly in recent years. Had Walker signed for Everton around 2009, when he joined Tottenham, it could have impacted the development of Coleman, now the club captain. However, at the time, missing out on Walker didn’t seem like a significant blow.
Now, with Coleman at 35 and Walker just a year younger but far more durable, the difference is striking. Walker’s move to Manchester City helped him amass an impressive trophy haul, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and a Champions League.
While Everton once had a dependable right-back in Coleman, his aging body has limited his availability. Walker could have been the ideal replacement, or at the very least, Everton might have benefited from a significant transfer fee like the £50 million Pep Guardiola spent to bring him to City in 2017.
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