Man City to begin contract talks with England star after World Cup

There are just eight rounds of fixtures left before the Premier League halts temporarily to allow players to travel to Qatar for the World Cup. 

The showpiece will prevent any top flight matches in England from taking place after November 13, with the first round of fixtures after the competition scheduled for Boxing Day.

It remains to be seen which side will top the table going into the enforced break, but few would bet against Manchester City being involved at the summit of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won five of their seven league games so far this term and remain unbeaten, with Erling Haaland’s tally of 11 goals propelling them up the table.

City’s success not only this season but also in recent years has also relied heavily on their defensive stability, and Kyle Walker has played a crucial part in that.

Now, the England international is set for talks over a proposed contract extension, according to The Star.

Walker has spent five years at Manchester City

Walker, 32, is set to be out of contract in the summer of 2024, but City will wait until after this winter’s World Cup to begin negotiations, the report says.

The full-back, who has often been used as part of a back-three by England boss Gareth Southgate, has been a regular for Guardiola over the past few years.

Having joined City from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, Walker has since made 222 appearances for The Citizens, winning a number of trophies in that time including four Premier League titles.

Despite the Englishman having been a crucial part of City’s recent success, the player’s age is one of a number of factors that mean City are in no rush to tie him down to a longer deal.

While those in charge of the club do intend on extending his stay in Manchester, they are willing to wait until after the World Cup to begin talks.

City have Joao Cancelo also competing for the starting spot at right-back, although the Portuguese has been used more regularly on the left of late.

Walker has also been a regular for Southgate’s England side, performing exceptionally at both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.

The right-back has 68 international caps to his name, having made his debut during a 1-0 win over Spain back in November 2011.