The imminent departure of the club captain should mark the start of a wave of departures for players who have won everything but are overwhelmed.
The timing of the revelation that Kyle Walker has asked to leave Manchester City – announced by Pep Guardiola midway through the press conference after the crushing 8-0 win over Salford City – was perhaps surprising. But the news itself seemed inevitable, even if it was rushed.
Walker had a difficult season on the field while off it, his chaotic private life continued to dominate the headlines. With his performances declining, the loss of his place in the team – his last start being in the derby defeat to Manchester United on December 15 – and the harsh criticism on social media, it is understandable that Walker has had enough and is looking to leave mid-season.
If his wish comes true and he leaves, Walker will rightly be remembered as one of City’s best defenders, a steadfast force at right-back for seven seasons before his difficult final spell this year. Guardiola was keen to highlight Walker’s influence, saying: “We can’t understand the success we had these years. Without Kyle it’s impossible, he gave us something we didn’t have. He was incredible.”
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But secretly the manager must be relieved that one of the team’s biggest burdens this season has given him and the club one less embarrassing decision to make when it comes to reshuffling the squad . Walker’s departure, however, appears to be just the first step in a big and necessary rebuild of City that has already begun.
Centre-back Abdukhodir Khusanov is set to join after City agreed a €40m (£33m/$40m) fee with Lens, with Brazilian youngster Vitor Reis expected to soon follow. Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush is also likely to join from Eintracht Frankfurt to give City additional strike power and ease the goal-scoring burden on Erling Haaland.
The three new arrivals mark a fresh start for City and signal the end of an era for the core of the team that won the treble just two years ago. And these are the players who should follow Walker to complete the transition…
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