Marco Reus comments that may indicate why Man City want Achraf Hakimi

Manchester City are reportedly targeting Achraf Hakimi this summer.

It was reported yesterday that City wouldn’t hesitate to spend big on the Morocco international.

Hakimi has been one of the best full-backs in world football over the last few years.

The star is seen as a really attack-minded right-back who can also defend well.

At the moment he’s at Paris Saint-German, where he’s been since the summer of 2021. The French giants apparently paid Inter an initial £51.3 million to sign him.

But before that, Hakimi spent a couple of years on loan at Dortmund, where he played with current City stars Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji.

Hakimi’s time at Dortmund was when people first really started to take note of him. And there was one trait of his that was, and still is, very effective…

Marco Reus comments may show why Manchester City are taking an interest in Achraf Hakimi
Pace is a valuable commodity in football.

If you have a lot of pace, the game is naturally easier.

And players don’t come much quicker than Hakimi.

Dortmund captain Marco Reus commented on Hakimi’s speed a few years ago. He said: “His speed is incredible. Achraf is a real weapon for us.”

Interestingly, in the 2019/20 season, Hakimi was clocked at 22.5mph in Dortmund’s 3-3 draw at home to RB Leipzig.

That is the highest top speed recorded in the Bundesliga since data collection began in 2011/12.

Achraf Hakimi is the perfect and potentially only replacement for Kyle Walker
On a day where the Premier League revealed that Kyle Walker was the fastest player in the Premier League in 2022/23, it can be argued that Hakimi is the best possible replacement for the Englishman.

Walker’s recovery ability is second to none. He can use his blistering pace to get back in and avert danger.

Hakimi has the same searing pace that Walker does.

So it makes total sense that City would be taking an interest him, with Walker a potential outgoing this summer.

Not only is he quick, but Hakimi is technically strong so he really would be a cracking addition.

Since he’s got three years left on his contract he would not come cheap.

But that said, maybe there is potential for some kind of swap deal involving Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez or Aymeric Laporte, all of whom have been linked with PSG this summer.