Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that Kyle Walker has requested to leave the club. The England defender was a notable omission from the squad for City’s 8-0 FA Cup victory over Salford City on Saturday, prompting Guardiola to explain the situation in his post-match press conference.
“Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career,” Guardiola said. “He’s been an incredible right-back for us, giving us something we didn’t have before he arrived, but now in his mind he would like to explore going to another country to play his last years for many reasons.”
Guardiola emphasized that Walker’s absence from the squad was due to his desire to leave, stating, “For that reason, I prefer to play other players whose minds are fully here.”
This is not the first time Walker has sought a move away from City. In 2023, he almost joined Bayern Munich after being offered a two-year contract. However, Guardiola convinced him to stay during a private dinner, and Walker subsequently signed a new three-year deal and was named club captain.
Despite this, Kyle Walker has found himself out of favor this season, losing his regular starting spot after a dip in form and a poor start to the campaign for City.
“He asked [to leave] two years ago after the treble,” Guardiola explained. “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 expressed his respect for Walker and his contributions to the club’s success. “I respect him a lot and I’m more than grateful for what he has done for us over the years. His first season here, we started to win, win, win, win, win. He’s been so important for both the national team and our team.”
While Walker has expressed his desire to leave, Guardiola acknowledged that the situation remains uncertain. “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.”
It remains to be seen whether City will grant Walker his wish to move abroad in the January transfer window. His departure would leave a significant void in City’s defense, but Guardiola appears willing to let the 34-year-old decide his own future.
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