Pep Guardiola Addresses Kyle Walker’s Desire to Leave Manchester City
In a surprising turn of events, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kyle Walker, the seasoned England defender, has expressed a desire to leave the club. This revelation comes after Walker was notably absent from the squad during City’s emphatic 8-0 victory over Salford City in the FA Cup.
During a post-match press conference, Guardiola was asked about Walker’s omission from the lineup. The manager explained that Walker had approached City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, with a request to explore opportunities to play abroad in the upcoming January transfer window.
“It’s not easy for me to say because I should tell him, but he’s not here, so two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career,” Guardiola shared with the media. “He’s been our right-back, giving us something we didn’t have, but now in his mind he would like to explore to go to another country to play his last years for many reasons. For that reason, I prefer to play other players whose mind is here. He went to Txiki. He asked to explore, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen because you never know the situation.”
Walker, who joined Manchester City from Tottenham in 2017, has been a pivotal figure in the team’s defense. However, this isn’t the first time the 34-year-old has considered leaving the Etihad. In 2023, Walker was on the verge of joining Bayern Munich, who had offered him a two-year contract. A private dinner with Guardiola convinced him to stay, leading to a new three-year deal and the honor of being named club captain.
Despite interest from Saudi Arabia last summer, Walker remained with City. However, a challenging start to the current season has seen him lose his place as a regular starter, prompting his renewed interest in exploring options abroad.
Guardiola elaborated on Walker’s previous transfer considerations, saying, “He asked [to leave] two years ago after the treble. Bayern wanted him but the offer was not good enough and the club [told] him how important he is. We cannot understand the success we had these years without Kyle. It’s impossible.”
Guardiola’s respect and gratitude for Walker’s contributions to the team were evident as he continued, “I respect a lot because I’m more than grateful since he has been [here] many years for us. His first season here, we started to win, win, win, win, win. He’s been important for the national team and important for our team but he said that ‘I want to explore, my mind and my heart and I want to explore it’. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Key Points to Consider
- Kyle Walker has asked to leave Manchester City to explore playing abroad.
- Walker was left out of the squad for City’s 8-0 FA Cup win over Salford City.
- He previously considered a move to Bayern Munich in 2023 but stayed after discussions with Guardiola.
- Interest from Saudi Arabia last summer did not materialize into a transfer.
- Walker has lost his place as a regular starter this season.
As the January transfer window approaches, the football world will be watching closely to see if Walker’s desire to play abroad will come to fruition. His potential departure would mark the end of an era for Manchester City, where he has been a key player in their recent successes.
Originally Written by: ESPN
