Sporting Kansas City has signed 25-year-old French midfielder Remi Walter, the club announced today. Walter has signed a three-year MLS contract through 2023 with an option for 2024 and will occupy an international slot on Sporting’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 visa.
Walter has amassed nearly 200 professional appearances since 2012, spanning seven full seasons in his native France and one season in Turkey. The left-footed central midfielder, who has represented France at the U-17 through U-21 levels, boasts experience in several prestigious European competitions, including the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League qualifying, French Ligue 1—where he has scored three goals in 74 matches—and the Turkish Super Lig.
“Remi Walter is an experienced midfielder who will add quality to our team,” said Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director. “We are happy to welcome him to Kansas City and look forward to his quick adaptation within our club.”
A native of Essey-les-Nancy, Walter developed in Nancy’s youth academy before joining the French club’s first team as an 18-year-old in 2013. He became a regular starter in the early stages of the 2013-14 season and spent the next two and a half years as an integral midfield contributor for the side, scoring four goals in all competitions as Nancy narrowly missed out on promotion to the top-flight Ligue 1 in 2014 and 2015.
Midway through the 2015-16 campaign, Walter was transferred to French title contender Nice and helped the club to a fourth-place finish in the top division as well as qualification to the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. The following season, he made 26 appearances—including four in the Europa League—as Nice took another step forward by placing third in Ligue 1 and booking a spot in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League.
A busy 2017-18 campaign saw Walter split time between Nice—where he notably competed in UEFA Champions League qualifiers and the UEFA Europa League—and fellow Ligue 1 club Troyes, where he spent the latter half of the season on loan. A strong loan spell at Troyes paved the way for Walter to return to Nice for 2018-19 under new manager and French soccer legend Patrick Vieira. Walter logged 22 appearances over the course of the season and scored two league goals, including the lone strike in a 1-0 victory over Champions League participant Lyon in February 2019. He also bagged his first professional brace in a dramatic 3-2 win over Auxerre in the third round of the 2018-19 French Coupe de la Ligue.
Walter ended his tenure at Nice halfway through the 2019-20 season, transferring to Turkish first division outfit Yeni Malatyaspor in January. He played nine Super Lig matches for the club between March and July before leaving the club this summer.
On the international stage, Walter was a French youth international who participated in a number of high-profile tournaments, namely the 2012 UEFA U-17 Championship in Slovenia and qualifying for the 2017 UEFA U-21 Championship in Poland. As a youth, he played alongside eventual 2018 FIFA World Cup winners Thomas Lemar, Benjamin Pavard and Corentin Tolisso as well as current Manchester City duo Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Mendy and Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs midfielder Remi Walter to a three-year MLS contract through 2023 with an option for 2024.
VITALS
Remi Walter
Position: Midfielder
Born: 4/26/1995 (25 years old)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hometown: Essey-les-Nancy, France
Birthplace: Essey-les-Nancy, France
Citizenship: France
Previous Club: Yeni Malatyaspor (Turkey)
Twitter: @remi_walter
Instagram: @remi_walter
