Kyle Walker reveals how Pep Guardiola’s move persuaded him to reject Man City transfer exit revealed

Kyle Walker has revealed a sushi dinner with Pep Guardiola convinced him to stay at Manchester City and reject an offer from Bayern Munich.

thҽ 33-year-old briefly fell out of favour under Pep Guardiola last season, as thҽ Catalonian coach favoured using John Stones in an inverted right-back role.

Guardiola publicly claimed that Walker was incapable of playing in thҽ same way as Stones, casting doubt over thҽ England international’s long-term future with thҽ Premier League champions.

thҽ former Tottenham Hotspur man failed to make thҽ starting lineup for thҽ Citizens’ Champions League final win over Inter Milan, although he did complete thҽ full 90 against Manchester United in thҽ FA Cup final as a centre-back.

Following a challenging campaign at individual level, Walker was tipped to leave thҽ Etihad for Bayern as he entered thҽ final year of his contract with Guardiola’s side, as thҽ Bavarians sought replacements for Inter Milan-bound Benjamin Pavard.

Bayern – who took Joao Cancelo on loan for thҽ second half of last season – apparently made two contract offers to Walker, but after meeting Guardiola for dinner, thҽ 33-year-old changed his mind and opted to remain in Manchester instead.

‘I have a really good relationship with Pep and he was kind enough to invite me out for food,’ he told thҽ Times.

‘He paid thҽ bill, for once!

‘It was good to know his plans for thҽ future and for this season and what he wants to do.

‘Being one of thҽ senior members – and standing in thҽ captaincy – it was important to get Pep’s views and put my view of what thҽ lads feel for thҽ season coming forward.’

Harry Kane swapped thҽ Premier League for thҽ Bundesliga this summer and Walker admitted he would have relished thҽ opportunity to play for Bayern.

‘It was close but in football things can happen,’ he said.

‘Decisions can be made. Things can turn. It wasn’t meant to be.

‘Would I have enjoyed thҽ experience? Of course I would have done.’

At thҽ same time, he conceded that leaving City would have proved difficult after six seasons at thҽ Etihad.

‘I love thҽ place, I’ve experienced things I only dreamed of here – especially thҽ last season – so why would you want to leave a club like this?,’ he said.

‘It was about who gave me thҽ most years [on contract] […] It was just what gave me thҽ years in my contract to play football at thҽ highest level.’

While City are traditionally reluctant to offer long-term deals to veteran players, thҽy appear to have made an exception for Walker, who will be 36 by thҽ time his new contract runs out.

While thҽ former Tottenham defender lost his starting spot last season and played only eight minutes in thҽ Champions League final win against Inter Milan, allowing him to leave would have left City short of options at right-back.

Instead, Walker has played every minute of City’s four Premier League games so far, as well as playing 120 minutes in both thҽ Community Shield defeat against Arsenal and thҽ UEFA Super Cup final win over Sevilla.

He has also been handed thҽ captaincy on an interim basis following Kevin De Bruyne’s injury on thҽ opening weekend of thҽ season.

Walker is determined to make thҽ position his own on a permanent basis.

‘I am relishing thҽ opportunity.

‘I am very grateful and hopefully I am stand-in captain until Kevin comes back or I get thҽ official [position], that is up to thҽ lads and staff.

‘It is an honour of privilege, of course I want it. If you can’t pass on your knowledge and life experiences on or off thҽ field I shouldn’t be playing at a great club like this.’