Kyle Walker asks to leave Man City: Three potential replacements for veteran right-back after Pep Guardiola transfer bombshell

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that defender Kyle Walker has asked to permission the club.

The 34-year-old admitted that helium came "close" to joining Bayern Munich successful the summertime of 2023, soon earlier opting to motion a declaration hold astatine the Etihad Stadium until June 2026.

Walker, wide regarded arsenic 1 of the champion right-backs successful satellite shot during the premier years of his career, has played a important relation successful Man City's occurrence since joining from Tottenham Hotspur successful 2017, making 319 appearances crossed each tournaments and winning 17 trophies.

However, the six-time Premier League victor - present successful the second years of his vocation - has looked progressively susceptible during a play erstwhile Man City person collectively struggled this season, and his error-strewn performances person travel nether overmuch scrutiny from Citizens supporters.

Many assumed that Walker would beryllium successful contention to diagnostic successful Man City's FA Cup third-round clash with Salford City connected Saturday, but the defender was amazingly omitted from Guardiola's matchday squad arsenic a much-changed Citizens broadside cruised to a 8-0 location victory implicit their fourth-tier counterparts.

It was initially reported that Walker was near retired for tactical reasons, but Guardiola revealed aft the lucifer that the right-back requested to permission the nine 2 days ago, suggesting that helium was not successful the close framework of caput to play.

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Walker hands successful Man City transportation request, Guardiola confirms

"[Walker] asked 2 years agone that he'd similar to travel. Bayern Munich wanted him but the connection wasn't bully enough. All these years without Kyle, it would person been impossible," Guardiola told reporters.

"He's fixed america thing we didn't person - amazing. But present he'd similar to research different state to play his past years, for galore reasons. And for that reason, I preferred playing different players (against Salford).

"He went to the nine and spoke with [director of football] Txiki [Begiristain]. I americium convinced if a subordinate doesn't privation to beryllium wherever they are past they can't beryllium what they privation to be. I conscionable said he's exploring, it doesn't mean it's going to hap due to the fact that we ne'er know.

"I respect him a lot. I'm much than grateful for what helium has done successful galore years with us. Since helium arrived 8 years ago, aft the archetypal play helium started to win, win, win. He has been important with the nationalist team, important for [Man City], but he's present said helium wants to explore. Honestly, I don't cognize what is going to happen."

Walker, who is nether declaration astatine the Etihad until June 2026, has regularly been linked with a imaginable instrumentality to boyhood nine Sheffield United, but present that helium has expressed his tendency to determination abroad, a power to the Saudi Pro League could beryllium connected the cards amid reported interest successful his services from a fig of clubs successful the Middle East.

The England international's exit from Man City could accelerate present that Guardiola has made his petition public, but whether the Citizens volition determine to enlistee a replacement successful January remains to beryllium seen - Rico Lewis is the club's lone different earthy right-back option.

The Premier League champions are presently focused connected signing 2 young cardinal defenders successful the signifier of Lens' Abdukodir Khusanov and Palmeiras' Vitor Reis; City person allegedly had a £33.5m connection for the erstwhile accepted, portion they remain successful talks to motion the latter aft having an opening bid turned down.

Guardiola's broadside are besides pushing to motion Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Omar Marmoush, with the Bundesliga club's CEO confirming connected Saturday that an funny nine - believed to beryllium Man City - have "made contact" implicit a January transfer.

Which right-backs could Man City people to regenerate Walker?

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Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)

One sanction who Man City could determination for either successful January oregon adjacent summertime is Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong, who is nary alien to beingness successful the North West of England having spent 9 years successful the younker ranks astatine the Etihad betwixt 2010 and 2019.

The 24-year-old ne'er made a elder quality for the Citizens and yet moved to Celtic, wherever helium spent two-and-a-half years earlier joining Leverkusen successful January 2021.

Under the tutelage of Xabi Alonso, Frimpong has established himself arsenic 1 of the champion attack-minded wing-backs successful Europe and was a cardinal cog successful the Leverkusen instrumentality that won the German home treble past play - including the club's first-ever Bundesliga rubric - signaling 14 goals and 12 assists successful 47 appearances.

The Netherlands international, who has previously been linked with Man City and different Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Manchester United, is nether declaration astatine the BayArena until the summertime of 2028.

More to follow.

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