Man City star ‘speaks’ to ex-teammate about ‘mega-money move’ with Pep ‘painful goodbye’ mooted

Lewis Oldham
Man City exit
Kyle Walker alongside Erling Haaland.

According to reports, Manchester City star Kyle Walker has ‘spoken’ to one of his former teammates about leaving the Premier League club in the summer.

Walker was heavily linked with a move away from Man City during last year’s summer transfer window amid interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

This transfer looked likely at one stage but the right-back ended up committing his future to the Premier League club by signing a contract extension until 2026.

The 33-year-old is showing no sign of slowing down as he has captained Man City for much of this season and has made 33 appearances across all competitions.

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Despite this, reports linking Walker with a move elsewhere are not going away and he recently commented on the prospect of heading to the Saudi Pro League.

“I’ll never say never,” Walker responded during an appearance on the Vibe with Five podcast in March. “The money that they’re paying and everything is obviously a massive factor in why they’re going out there. (Cristiano) Ronaldo opened the pathway for everyone to go there.”

He added: “If they keep attracting the player they’re attracting the league will get better so why wouldn’t you want to go?

“But for me, the Premier League is the best league in the world so I want to compete in this league for as long as possible and as high as possible.”

Bayern Munich are also still monitoring Walker’s situation at Man City. Earlier this week, a report from Spanish outlet Nacional claimed Pep Guardiola is set to ‘wave a painful goodbye’ to the defender as the German side have managed to ‘convince’ him to join. 

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But according to a report from The Sun, Walker is ‘eyeing up a mega-money move’ to the Saudi Pro League and ‘has sought advice from former teammate Riyad Mahrez about relocating to the Middle East’.

Walker is said to be “exploring all options” as he considers a fresh start to help his family.

A source for The Sun said: “Kyle has been thinking about his future after the Premier League and thinks a move to Saudi could be perfect for him, Annie, and their kids when he is done here.

“He has been speaking to Riyad about the football clubs out there and what life is like for people who move there. Obviously, the lifestyle is vastly different.

“Kyle loves playing for Man City and is devoted to the club but he has his head screwed on and has been thinking about what the future holds for him when his time in the Prem and for England is done.”

The source added: “His conversations with Riyad have opened his eyes to what it is really like to play for the clubs out there and what the reality would be if he moved there.

“It is something Kyle and Annie [his wife] have discussed too and she would be open to relocating there at some point in the future with their kids.

“And, of course, there would be a lot less public scrutiny on him which he would relish, especially after the past few months of turmoil which has been so publicly played out.”

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