Manchester City dealt blow ahead of new season

Manchester City have been relatively quiet so far during the current transfer window, with Mateo Kovacic the only player to arrive at The Etihad. 

The Croatian midfielder joined City from rivals Chelsea in a deal worth around £30 million, but manager Pep Guardiola is yet to add any other new faces to his squad.

The Citizens won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season but have since lost influential midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, although it now appears that they could soon lose another key player.

According to Football Insider, full-back Kyle Walker is set to tell City that he intends to leave and join German club Bayern Munich.

The England international is said to have verbally agreed personal terms with the Bundesliga champions, who have offered him a deal until 2025.

Walker has reportedly agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich

Bayern and City are yet to agree a deal for the player, although the report claims that the two clubs should be able to reach an agreement in the coming weeks.

Walker, 33, joined City from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2017 and has since made more than 250 appearances for his current club.

During his time in Manchester the right-back has won no fewer than 14 trophies, including five Premier League titles and the FA Cup.

The Englishman has been City’s first choice right-back for the majority of his time with the club so far, although Joao Cancelo’s arrival in 2019 did slightly hinder his opportunities.

Last term, the defender made 39 appearances across all competitions as City charged to a third consecutive Premier League title.

The report claims that City have already identified Paris Saint-German star Achraf Hakimi and Bayern’s Benjamin Pavard as potential replacements for Walker if he does depart The Etihad.

Bayern reportedly made an enquiry about Walker last year, but City have since made attempts to persuade the player to sign an extension to his current contract, which is set to run until next summer.