'Not easy' Pep Guardiola drops Man City transfer bombshell after Kyle Walker call
Pep Guardiola confirmed that Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has asked to leave the club.
Walker was left out of the FA Cup squad against Salford City on Saturday after the veteran defender went to sporting director Txiki Begiristain this week to ask to 'explore the options to play abroad'. Guardiola did not think the player was in the right frame of mind to be selected so didn't pick him for the weekend and his future at the club is now in doubt.
Guardiola has insisted that the club do not want the squad to get any smaller this month as they look to bring in defensive reinforcements - a deal for Abdukodir Khusanov is agreed and they are also in talks with Palmeiras for defender Vitor Reis - but players who want to leave are also usually allowed to - if the offer is right.
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"It's not easy for me to say because I should tell him but he's not here," said Guardiola. "Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad. He asked two years ago after the Treble, Bayern Munich wanted him but the offer was not good enough.
"We cannot understand the club had without years without Kyle. It's impossible to imagine what we have done in these years without him. For that reason, I prefer to play other players whose mind is here.
"Maybe I'm wrong but I still am pretty convinced that there's no-one in our job that doesn't want to be where they are who can perform and be exactly what they want to be. He asked to explore, it doesn't mean it's going to happen because you never know the situation.
"I respect a lot because I'm more than grateful since he has been many years for us. His first season here, we started to win, win, win , win, win. He's been important for the national team and important for our team but he said that 'I want to explore, my mind and my heart and I want to explore it'. I don't know what's going to happen."
