Kyle Walker transfer: Man City defender is one of Pep Guardiola's most trusted players - but time catches up with everyone
20 January 2025, 14:06 | Updated: 23 January 2025, 10:41
By the end of his first season in charge, Pep Guardiola had realised that it would take a massive overhaul of the Manchester City squad to win the trophies he'd been brought in to deliver.
Ten regular first team players were shown the exit door in the summer of 2017 and a raft of new talent was brought in to pave the way for an era of domestic dominance.
- Man City accept AC Milan loan offer for Walker
Central to that was the signing of Kyle Walker, who at the time was the most expensive defender in English football history, arriving from Tottenham for a fee worth more than £50m including add-ons.
Guardiola needed more energy from his full-backs to realise his vision, and Walker was seen to be the perfect upgrade on fan-favourite Pablo Zabaleta, who was released at the age of 32.
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