Bayern in shock double raid on Man City as England star wanted alongside Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker is not the only Manchester City and England player Bayern are hoping to sign this summer as they are also interested in one of his team-mates, according to a German journalist.
Walker is hoping to leave City this summer as he is not happy with his playing time. Pep Guardiola changed City’s formation this season, moving from a back four to a back three. This saw either John Stones or Rico Lewis come into a hybrid defence-midfield role.
Guardiola has revealed that Walker cannot perform this role, which is why the right-back did not start in the Champions League final. Stones started instead and went on to shine, helping City win their first ever Champions League trophy.
Walker’s contract expires in June 2024 and he is unlikely to pen an extension, which makes a transfer this summer likely. If City keep hold of him for another season then they will have to see him leave as a free agent next year.
Walker has been offered the chance to earn a huge wage by going to Saudi Arabia, while his boyhood club Sheffield United have also expressed an interest in re-signing him. However, Bayern are understood to be the frontrunners to complete a deal as things stand.
Talks between Bayern and the defender’s agent are at an advanced stage. The German champions have offered Walker a two-year contract and he is on the verge of accepting it.
Surprisingly, midfielder Kalvin Phillips may follow Walker to the Allianz Arena. As per Bild’s head of football coverage Christian Falk, who has been writing for CaughtOffside, Bayern have identified Phillips as a potential signing to increase their midfield options.
Bayern might lose Ryan Gravenberch in the near future as Jurgen Klopp is aiming to take him to Liverpool. And this would open up a spot in the Bayern squad for Phillips to arrive.
Bayern to sign Man City outcast?
Falk adds that senior Bayern officials have internally discussed a move for the former Leeds United player, though they are yet to actually make a bid for him.
Phillips recently came out and said there would be ‘no reason’ for him to leave City following their treble triumph. He does not want to give up on his aim of getting into the City starting eleven so soon after joining the club.
However, City may end up pushing him out of the Etihad this summer anyway. They are now in pole position to sign Declan Rice from West Ham.
Rice could form a top-class midfield partnership with either Rodri or Stones, leaving Phillips even further down the pecking order.
West Ham have looked into signing the 27-year-old as a potential replacement for Rice. But now it seems the Irons will have to deal with competition from Bayern to sign Phillips.
