According to Raphael Honigstein of The Athletic, Manchester city’s Kyle Walker has verbally agreed to join Bayern Munich this summer.
Although the deal is yet to be completed, with the two clubs yet to agree a fee with one another, the move is said to be ‘edging closer’.
It is expected that the citizens would look for upwards of £15m for the England international, however they would rather have him sign a new contract and continue in Manchester next season.
With his current deal expiring next summer, the treble winners have been trying to convince the 33-year-old to sign new terms at the club all summer, however have been in competition with the Bundesliga giants for a while, who were reported to be in talks with the full-back in June.
If Walker were to make the move to Germany, it would mark his first venture outside of English football, having moved to The Etihad for a fee in the region of €50m from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2017, where he has since won five Premier League trophies, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and most recently his first Champions League.
Furthermore, the verbal agreement poses another issue and potential departure for Pep Guardiola’s side this transfer window, with both Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, whilst defenders Aymeric Laporte and João Cancelo are also expected to move on. The latter of which spent six months on loan at Thomas Tuchel’s side last season, however did not have his option to buy triggered by the Bundesliga champions.
Consequently, Bayern’s interest in Walker consolidates reports that they are still searching for a right-back, with current starter Benjamin Pavard looking likely to depart this summer, having informed the club of his decision to not renew his current contract, which expires in 2024.
Travis Levison | Get Football
