Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has revealed he was “close” to joining Bayern Munich this summer after speculation over his future throughout the window but is now set to sign a new contract extension after all.
The long-serving Cityzen and England fullback is now one of the more senior players in Pep Guardiola‘s squad, having been there for six years and won everything there is to win with the club, but has now confirmed that talk of him going to the German giants wasn’t just concrete, it was nearly a done deal.
Speaking to BBC Sport after Man City’s emphatic 5-1 win over Fulham (yes, yet another hattrick from Erling Haaland), Walker said: “Decisions can be made, things can turn. It was close but in football, things can happen — it wasn’t meant to be.”
The 33-year-old is now set to sign his new deal in the coming days, one which will see him extend his stay at the Etihad until at least 2026.
Walker spoke for 15 minutes about:
📌 Bayern move being ‘close’ 📌 Ready to sign new City deal 📌 His views on the captaincy 📌 How he’s changed as a leader 📌 City going again after treble 📌 What more they could’ve done last season
Kyle Walker confirmed he will be extending his City contract after nearly joining Bayern.
The fan favourite Blue and England international told reporters, “Would I have enjoyed the experience? Of course I would, but this is a great club and you can’t underestimate what this club has done in the last six or seven years.”
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On the other hand, Walker admitted, “Why should I walk away if I am going to get enough game time that’s right for me? That is all I want: I want to play football. I love the game and want to play, whether that’s here, Germany, Italy, Spain or in the Championship.”
“I wanted to play football so if I don’t feel that I am getting enough game time whether that is on X amount of pounds or no pounds… The money, I don’t care about it. You might say that’s a cliché, but I don’t care about it. I am just worried about my happiness and playing football.”
The former Spurs and Sheffield United right-back went on to say: “In the back of my head I always wanted to play for Manchester City but I had to do what was right for me and my future. It was just about which club gave me the years in my contract to play football at the highest level.”
After moving past the Bayern discussion, Walker reaffirmed the love for his time spent in Manchester thus far, assuring that the contract extension “is coming” whilst adding, “It’s my seventh season here and I feel like one of the old ones.”
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“I love the place. I’ve experienced things I only dreamt of here – especially the last season – so why would you want to leave a club like this?” Midfielder Bernardo Silva found himself in a similar situation at the start of the season with interest from all over Europe but has also decided to stay for a while longer.
He also assured that he would never try and force a move to another club, insisting: “I am a Manchester City player. I am contracted to them so what do you want me to do? Turn around and say ‘I am not playing because I want to force a move to Bayern Munich’? That is not me as a person.
“I have a contract with the club and I will play for the club until the contract [ends] or they sell me – and I wasn’t sold.” Walker has also been pulling on the captain’s armband after Ilkay Gündogan bid goodbye after seven years and replacement Kevin de Bruyne is out injured.
Featured Image — Kyle Walker (via Instagram)/Bayern Munich
Sport
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
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Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Danny Jones -
4th September 2023 
