Kyle Walker was linked with a move away from Manchester City in a report from Spain that suggested the 32-year-old was one of many disgruntled players who sought a departure, but the likelihood of Pep Guardiola letting him leave is very slim.
City are five points adrift of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League while Walker has been dropped from the starting lineup, so he’s sure to be unhappy about how the season has unravelled. But Guardiola holds Walker in such high regard and still needs him in the squad. There’s been no club linked either…
The 32-year-old has made 14 appearances in all competitions this season, missed a large handful of games due to a groin injury picked up in October. Walker had a poor World Cup with England and returned to City in bad condition last month, resulting in him losing his spot to Rico Lewis – two starts in their last six league games.
He was an unused substitute in their EFL Cup fourth-round win over Liverpool (December 22), was hauled off at half time of their EFL Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton (January 11) and was initially benched in their FA Cup fourth-round win over Arsenal (January 27).
But this is a player Guardiola called ‘exceptional’ earlier in the season and a player Pep recently highlighted is so important to City, so he isn’t going anywhere despite the recent setback.
In other news, how many minutes has Pep Guardiola given to Man City youngsters this season?
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