Kyle Walker, a veteran defender for Manchester City, has chosen against joining Bayern Munich, giving Pep Guardiola’s team a huge boost in the transfer market
The 33-year-old had initially agreed to join the enduring German champions, but has since changed his mind after speaking with the Spanish manager about his future. This summer, Walker’s future became the subject of a soap opera as the Bavarians battled valiantly to entice him to the Allianz Arena in spite of Man City’s reluctance to approve a transfer.
The English international and Bayern had verbally agreed to work together, but the 2017–18 triple winners couldn’t come to an understanding. In order to sign Walker, Tuchel persuaded the Munich insiders to defy the team’s rule against giving elderly stars short-term contracts, which led to discontent in the locker room.
The former Tottenham Hotspur right-back had considered quitting the Etihad Stadium after six years because he felt frustrated at being benched for the Champions League final against Inter Milan last year. Walker had started 11 of Man City’s last 13 games over the closing stretch of the 2022–23 season, thus Guardiola’s decision to remove Walker from the starting lineup in Istanbul was unexpected.
Walker appeared desperate to press his way out of Manchester in response to his Champions League absence, making the Spaniard’s many tactical adjustments almost work against him. Guardiola, though, was unable to permit that to happen, especially after cutting relations with two senior first-team talents in Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan this summer.
If the exits of the two weren’t damaging enough, Bernardo Silva’s future is still uncertain due to rumours linking him to Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Saudi Arabia. Bayern’s pursuit of Harry Kane was dealt a fatal blow on Monday when Spurs rejected their third offer, and Walker’s change of heart adds insult to injury. Additionally, the 30-year-old is reportedly considering extending his contract at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for one more year.
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