Issa Kaboré’s loan spell at ESTAC Troyes has come to an end so he’ll return to Manchester City this summer. The 21-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions for Troyes and made a real impression at the Stade de l’Aube, but Pep Guardiola has a difficult decision to make on his future.
Kabore is a talented right-back who was named Best Young Player in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but he’s unlikely to get much playing time in the first-team due to competition from Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo. The Burkina Faso international might be a long-term replacement for the former, however.
Since joining Man City from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, Walker has made 138/190 Premier League appearances. The 32-year-old has missed a lot of football due to injury, so that might be in Guardiola’s mind when planning for the future.
Cancelo has been outstanding and has years ahead of him, so there’s no suggestion of him leaving. Walker wouldn’t be sold yet either, but Guardiola can’t always rely on his fitness. The England international made 24 league appearances last season and has made 20 league appearances this campaign, so that’s 37% of matches he’s absent for.
Goal previously said City rate Kabore highly and want to eventually integrate him in the first-team, so could save the club a lot of money looking for Walker’s successor. But if he’s going to be on the periphery next season, it makes sense to loan him out for another year so he doesn’t stagnate on the bench.
In other news, Pep Guardiola can’t let Man City man leave despite unhappiness over squad role