Kyle Walker has disclosed that he came “close” to joining Bayern Munich in the summer but is now set to sign a new contract at Manchester City.
The 33-year-old England full-back helped City become only the second English team to complete the Treble last season.
“I had to do what was right for me and my future and that was whichever club gave me the most years.
“It’s my seventh season here and I feel like one of the old ones, there’s me, Kevin, John [Stones], Bernardo and Eddy [Ederson] from the first couple of seasons when Pep came in.
“I love the place, I’ve experienced things I only dreamt of here, especially last season, so why would you want to leave a club like this?
“It wasn’t like I was going to a worse club, because Bayern is a massive club, and seeing what Harry [Kane] is doing there and will do, it wasn’t a step down. It was just which club gave me the years in my contract to play football at the highest level.
“It was close [joining Bayern]. But in football, things happen, things can turn. It wasn’t meant to be. Would I have enjoyed the experience?
“Of course I would have done. But this club is a great club and you can’t under- estimate what this club has done in the last six or seven years. Why should I walk away if I’m going to get enough game-time that’s right for me? That’s all I want.”
Walker further revealed that he made the decision to stay after dinner with Guardiola. He added;
“We’ve got a really good relationship and he was kind enough to invite me out for food. He paid the bill – for once!
“It was good to know his plans for the future and for this season and what he wants to do. Being one of the senior members – and standing in as captain while Kevin goes through what he’s gone through – it was important to get Pep’s views and put my view of what the lads feel for the season going forward.”
City’s general policy of not offering longer-term deals to veteran players appears to have been waived in the case of Walker, who will be 36 by the time the new contract expires.
And it proved a prescient piece of business, with the long-term injury to De Bruyne leaving a vacuum in leadership.
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