Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that team captain Kyle Walker has asked to leave the club.
Walker, 34, was left out of City’s squad for Saturday 8-0 FA Cup win over Salford.
After the match, Guardiola said:
“That’s why I prefer to play other players whose mind is here.”
Walker has helped City win 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League, since joining from Tottenham in a £50m deal in 2017.
He was close to joining Bayern Munich after City’s treble in 2023, but signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2026.
Guardiola said: “We can’t understand the success we’ve had these years without Kyle. It’s impossible.
“Having a right-back like him gave us something we didn’t have and he was amazing.
“But he said he wanted to explore it with his mind and heart.”
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