Opinion: Signing former Championship forward would be a shrewd move
Port Vale have previously been linked with a move for former Nottingham Forest and Coventry City forward Tyler Walker. The son of legendary England defender, Des Walker, has shown glimpses of his quality going forwards in recent years, but that clearly hasn’t quite been enough to warrant a new deal with Coventry City, who announced that he would leave the club this summer, having spent three years with the Sky Blues.
Walker scored just once in 19 matches for Coventry last season, but found regular game time hard to come by. This is understandable though, given the impressive form in front of goal from the likes of Matty Godden and Viktor Gyokeres, who were key in Coventry’s push for promotion last term, which ultimately fell short after a defeat to Luton Town at Wembley in the Championship play-off final on penalties.
The 26-year-old is no stranger to playing in League One though, and could prove to be a useful addition to the Vale squad this summer if they were to pursue a deal for him, as he’s already shown his quality in front of goal for Lincoln City back in the 2019/20 season, where he netted 16 goals in 34 appearances for the Imps, whilst on loan from Nottingham Forest.
It wasn’t the most memorable of seasons for Port Vale last season, especially towards the end of the 2022/23 league campaign, as they finished 18th in the third-tier standings, and just four points clear of the relegation zone, which doesn’t make for the best of reading, especially after a strong start to that season. However, this summer offers them a chance to rebuild, and they’d be making a shrewd addition in signing Walker, especially with the striker available on a free transfer, having reached a conclusion on his contract with Coventry City.
It’s been revealed by mybettingsites.co.uk that Port Vale are priced at 9/2 with Sky Bet to finish in the top-six in League One this season. Below, you’ll find the odds with this operator for the main promotion candidates in the third-tier.
- Derby County @ 4/6
- Bolton Wanderers @ 11/10
- Reading @ 11/10
- Barnsley @ 6/5
- Peterborough United @ 5/4
- Portsmouth @ 11/8
- Blackpool @ 7/4
- Charlton Athletic @ 7/4
- Oxford United @ 2/1
- Wycombe Wanderers @ 11/4
Odds displayed are correct as of 4:22 pm, Wednesday 21st June 2023. Odds are subject to change.
He’d offer them pace within their front-line, and we’ve already seen his capabilities leading the line for the likes of Lincoln City and Portsmouth, for whom he featured for in 2022, although it wasn’t the strongest of spells in front of goal for Pompey, as they struggled to create chances for Walker.
With James Wilson leaving Port Vale, it opens up a spot for Andy Crosby to add to his attacking options, which is certainly needed, as the Valiants only scored 48 goals in League One last season, which was one of the reasons as to why they almost dropped into the bottom-four. Walker is the perfect player to fill that void, and given his experience at this level, as well as him having a point to prove, it’s a move that’s likely to suit all parties involved.