Man City warm to senior star’s sale, as Championship high-flyers seek shock signing

Manchester City are willing to offload captain Kyle Walker as part of their squad rejuvenation next summer, and a Championship club who may have secured promotion to the Premier League at that time hope to strike a deal.

Man City have failed to win any of their last seven matches, losing six and drawing with Feyenoord. The 3-3 draw with the Dutch side arose after City surrendered a three-goal lead late in the second half.

Manager Pep Guardiola continues to put on a brave face while insisting he’ll turn the ship around. However, a significant spend on new players may be a necessity if City are to challenge for top honours next season.

An influx of new arrivals will inevitably coincide with a raft of exits. According to talkSPORT, captain Walker is ‘one of the players City will consider moving on at the end of the season.’

The right-back’s contract expires in 2026, meaning City would have to actively push Walker out if he’s to leave the club.

Interest from MLS and Saudi Arabia is anticipated, but per talkSPORT, Walker could get the opportunity to re-join his boyhood club.

Walker rose through the ranks of Sheffield United as a youngster before leaving for Tottenham in 2009. The 34-year-old has reportedly always harboured ambitions of returning to Bramall Lane before his career comes to a close and the summer of 2025 may provide perfect timing.

Sheffield United are interested in bringing Walker home, though the deal may only be viable if they’ve secured promotion back into the top flight.

The Blades currently sit atop the Championship table with a two-point advantage over Burnley and a three-point gap to Leeds United in third.

Who else could Man City turf out?

A squad filled with stars who are all ageing at the same time is proving to be a recipe for disaster this season.

Aside from Walker, the likes of Ilkay Gundogan (34) and Bernardo Silva (30) have been well below their usual standards this term.

Gundogan signed a one-year deal with an option for an extra 12 months upon returning from Barcelona in August. The German has done little so far to suggest City should activate that option.

Kevin De Bruyne (33) has been used sparingly amid persistent muscle injuries in recent times. De Bruyne is out of contract in the summer and per The Athletic, the playmaker ‘will most likely have to get through the season without any further injury setbacks to get an extension.’

De Bruyne has admirers in MLS and the Saudi Pro League and won’t lack for lucrative offers if his glittering City career does conclude in 2025.

GO DEEPER: Five players Man City must urgently sign replacements for as Guardiola crisis deepens

Latest Man City news – Williams, McAtee and more

In other news, Rodri has thrown his backing behind Man City making a move for Athletic Bilbao winger, Nico Williams.

Speaking via video link at the AS awards ceremony, Rodri said: “Yes, yes. Right now if I was taking him I would also be taking him to teach him a little bit about the cold in England, although it’s similar to Bilbao.

“But yes, I would take him with me without a doubt.”

Elsewhere, GiveMeSport report Man City have warmed to the idea of offloading James McAtee in January.

West Ham and Crystal Palace are well-placed to make a move, while Championship side Leeds United are also hovering. Whether City prefer an outright sale or loan wasn’t made clear.

Finally, journalist Henry Winter insisted time is up for Walker, Gundogan and Silva at The Etihad.

Winter ran the rule over City’s problems in a scathing assessment for talkSPORT. The reporter also claimed Man City’s once-feared squad have morphed from ‘invincibles to invisibles.’

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