The big off-field news from weekend could be found in Pep Guardiola’s post-match press conference.
He had just watched his Manchester City side hammer League Two’s Salford City 8-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup, and he was asked why Kyle Walker was not in the squad for the game.
His response sounded like this:
💬 “It’s not easy for me to say because he should say, but he’s not here, so two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career.
“He asked two years ago after the treble, Bayern Munich I think wanted him but the offer was not good enough and I and the club (told) him how important he is. You cannot understand the success we have had these years without Kyle, it’s impossible, he gave us something we didn’t have, he’s been amazing.
“But now in his mind he would like to explore already to go to another country to play the last years for many reasons, and for that reason I played other players whose mind is here.”
GO FURTHER
Kyle Walker has asked to leave Manchester City, says Pep Guardiola