- 19 hours ago
Walker tipped to leave Man City after being 'buried' by Guardiola
Stuart Telford
- 8 Apr 2023 17:07 BST
- 3 min read
Pep Guardiola has said that Kyle Walker doesn't fit his new tactical system, and the England defender is now bound for the Manchester City exit door, according to Tony Cascarino.
Walker has been a Man City mainstay since completing a £50 million move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 and started 20 games as they won the Premier League last season.
He has been their first-choice right-back for much of this - until Guardiola started moving away from a flat back four at the turn of the year.
READ: Barcelona to save Joao Cancelo from Man City and Bayern hell?
The tactical change cost Joao Cancelo his place in the side, and ultimately the squad, with a loan move to Bayern Munich quickly following, and Walker's City career could now take a similar direction.
Guardiola: 'a question of skill'
"He cannot do it," Guardiola said when asked if Walker could be used as an inverted full-back. "He will always have pace; he will be the fastest in this room at 60. To play inside you have to make some movements, he has other characteristics.
"It's just a question of skills… the reason why is tactical. It's not because we lost faith in Kyle."
Pep Guardiola has admitted that Kyle Walker is struggling to adapt to the inverted fullback role at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/E0MHIWT6w0
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 8, 2023
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Pep may protest that he still has faith in the player, but Cascarino doesn't think so.
"It's a small line on this, but it's scathing," he told the Weekend Breakfast on talkSPORT. "Guardiola revealed that the 32-year-old cannot follow tactical instructions that he's required to take up. John Stones is doing it and he can't do it - that is scathing.
"I think that that line has confirmed that he's not going to play any part [next season]. I'd be amazed, because you're talking about a senior pro who has achieved a lot, and in one line you've buried him."
Walker is valued at €19.8m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, with Fenerbahce the latest club to be linked with a move for the 75-time England international.
