Guardiola confirms Man City captain Kyle Walker has asked to leave

Manchester City beat Salford City 8-0 and successfully advanced to the FA Cup. Manchester City coach Guardiola confirmed in an interview that captain Kyle Walker has requested to leave the club.

Walker did not make the squad for the game. In the post-match interview, Guardiola mentioned Walker and said: "Two days ago, Kyle expressed his desire to explore the opportunity to play overseas and end his career."

"That's why I prefer to let other players play. Two years after winning the treble, he also asked to leave the team. Bayern Munich was interested in him at the time, but the offer was not ideal."

Guardiola acknowledged Walker's huge contribution to the team, but would not force him to stay at the club. Guardiola said: "Without Kyle, we can't understand the success we have had over the years. It would be impossible."

"I still very much believe that no one in our careers wants to be somewhere they don't want to be and still be able to perform well and be who they want to be. Him asking to explore doesn't mean that's going to happen because you never know the future."

"I have a lot of respect for him because I am grateful for his contribution over the years he has played for us. He has been very important both for the national team and for the team."

The 34-year-old Walker moved from Tottenham to Manchester City in 2017 for a transfer fee of about 50 million pounds. So far, Walker has played 319 times for Manchester City and helped the team win 17 championship trophies. This season, Walker's playing time has decreased, starting only 9 times in the Premier League.