Pep Guardiola believes Kyle Walker will soon join Bayern Munich.
Walker has been a key part of Guardiola’s Manchester City team since he arrived from Tottenham for £50m in 2017.
The England right-back has made over 250 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League.
However, despite City’s best efforts to keep him, Walker looks destined to join Bayern Munich.
The 33-year-old lost his starting role in Guardiola’s team in the second half of last season, and subsequently declined to extend his contract beyond 2024.
It has been widely reported that the defender has agreed personal terms with Bundesliga giants Bayern, as he is keen to take up a new challenge at the elite level.
Bayern and City are expected to reach an agreement over the next week, with a potential fee reported to be in the region of £13m.
Pep breaks silence
Both sides have been coy over Walker’s future, but on Tuesday Guardiola broke his silence when asked about the situation.
“I’m pretty sure Bayern will do it [sign Walker],” he told reporters in Tokyo when asked if Walker will leave.
“He is a very important player for us, he has a very specific quality and is a formidable opponent out wide. That quality is irreplaceable. The clubs [Bayern Munich and City] are in touch. We will fight for him.”
Walker’s departure might be imminent, but Guardiola rubbished the idea that he will sit out City’s friendly against Bayern on Wednesday.
In fact, City have not given up trying to convince Walker to stay.
“He’s our player, we need to play against Bayern with the best players. We hope he is going to stay the whole season with us, so why should he not play.”
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Guardiola began his answer by saying “No comment”, but the fact he opened up and admitted that Walker is close to leaving shows how important the matter is to him.
The manager clearly wants Walker to stay, but he is losing the battle. We expect the deal to be done pretty soon.
