Kyle Walker wants to stay at Man City and sign an extension to his existing contract; Bayern Munich are interested in the England defender but City have no desire to sell him; Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva face uncertain futures
Tuesday 20 June 2023 09:33, UK
Kyle Walker would prefer to stay at Manchester City this summer despite interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Sky in Germany are reporting that Bayern are in advanced negotiations to sign the City defender, but it is understood the 33-year-old wants to remain at the Etihad and sign an extension to his existing contract.
Walker has one year left on his current deal and City have no desire to sell him this summer.
City head coach Pep Guardiola left Walker on the bench for the Champions League final, favouring Nathan Ake over him in defence.
Guardiola said in April Walker was unable to play in City's system which saw John Stones move into midfield from defence at a time when the England international had lost his place in the team.
"He cannot do it," Guardiola said of Walker. "He will always have pace; Kyle at 60 years old will be the fastest player in this room. To play inside you have to have educated movements - he doesn't have every one of the characteristics."
Walker, who joined City from Tottenham in 2017 for £50m, has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his six years at the club.
Man City will not stand in Bernardo Silva's way if he wishes to leave the club.
However, as has previously been the case, the player and his representatives must request a transfer and present a suitable offer to the treble-winners to consider.
Paris Saint-German are interested in signing him, while Barcelona are also long-term admirers of the Portugal international.
In an ideal world for City, Silva would stay and sign a new long-term contract, having been instrumental in their momentous achievements last season, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup trophies.
However, Silva is understood to have considered a move away from City last summer, which did not materialise.
Meanwhile, City are continuing talks over the signing of midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
Barcelona are looking to sign at least one new midfielder this summer and remain keen on City captain Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer.
Gundogan is in talks with City over a new deal with his contract set to expire at the end of the month.
However, the length of the deal on offer for the 32-year-old - one year plus an option of a further 12 months - has been a sticking point.
Barca are thought to be among the clubs willing to offer him a longer deal, while Arsenal are also interested in Gundogan.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
