Pep Guardiola has revealed a surprising transfer development, confirming that one of his Manchester City players has expressed a desire to explore options elsewhere.
On Saturday evening, City delivered an exceptional performance, thrashing League Two side Salford City 8-0 in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad Stadium. The dominant win featured goals from Divin Mubama, Nico O’Reilly, Jack Grealish, a brace from Jeremy Doku, and a hat-trick from James McAtee, securing their spot in the next round.
However, prior to the match, it emerged that Kyle Walker was absent from the squad despite being fit to play. After the game, Guardiola explained that Walker had requested to consider transfer opportunities abroad this month.
According to Sam Lee of The Athletic, Guardiola stated: “Two days ago, Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad and end his career.”
Walker’s form has come under scrutiny this season, coinciding with a rare dip in City’s performance levels. Over the summer, the full-back was heavily linked with a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich but ultimately chose to remain at City.
Reflecting on the situation in September, Walker admitted he was close to leaving, saying:
“Decisions can change, and things can turn. It was close, but in football, anything can happen. Would I have enjoyed the experience [at Bayern]? Of course, but this is a great club. You can’t underestimate what City has achieved over the last six or seven years.
Why leave if I can get the right amount of game time? That’s all I want. In the back of my mind, I always wanted to stay at City, but I also had to consider what was best for my future. It ultimately came down to which club offered the right contract to keep playing at the highest level.”
Leave a Reply