Kyle Walker is set to sign a new long-term contract at Manchester City after coming close to leaving for Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window.
The England international, 33, verbally agreed a move to the Bundesliga champions as he searched for more first-team football before opting to stay with the treble-winners for a seventh season and beyond.
Despite winning back his place and starting 11 of City’s last 13 matches last season, Walker was dropped for the Champions League final against Inter Milan and played only the final few minutes as a late substitute.
Bayern, under the stewardship of former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, were pushing for right-back depth all summer even before France international Benjamin Pavard departed for Inter Milan late in the window.
Walker was a top target but with City set to offer him a two-year extension until 2026 he is happy he stayed put at the club he has called home since 2017.
“It was close,” he said after Saturday’s win over Fulham. “It was close but in football things can happen. Decisions can be made. Things can turn. It wasn’t meant to be.
“Would I have enjoyed the experience? Of course I would have done. But this club is a great club and you can’t underestimate what this club has done in the last six or seven years. Why should I walk away if I am going to get enough game time that’s right for me?
“That is all I want. I want to play football I love the game and want to play, whether that’s here, Germany, Italy or Spain, the Championship. I still want to play because to stay at home with the kids would be hard work!”
Walker has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four Carabao Cups and last season’s Champions League at the Etihad since joining from Tottenham Hotspur.
He has a year remaining on his current deal but is now set to extend that until 2026.
“Yeah, the extension is coming,” he added. “It’s my seventh season here and I feel like one of the old ones – there are still some, Kevin (De Bruyne), John (Stones), Bernardo (Silva)and Eddy (Ederson) from the first couple of seasons when Pep came in.
“I love the place, I’ve experienced things I only dreamt of here – especially the last season – so why would you want to leave a club like this.
Source: BBC
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