Kyle Walker has been left at home for Man City‘s trip to Brentford tonight as nears an exit from the Premier League champions.
The England defender is set to end a seven-and-a-half-year stint at the Etihad with a move to Italy for the rest of the season.
Both Milan clubs are vying for his services and Mail Sport understands that any loan agreement could then turn into a two-year permanent deal at its conclusion.
Now, ahead of the league clash at the GTech Community Stadium, Mail Sport can reveal that the full-back has not travelled with the squad to the game.
Walker, 34, was left out of City’s squad for Saturday’s 8-0 rout of Salford City, after which Pep Guardiola revealed he had requested to ‘explore the option’ of playing abroad.
Earlier in the week, Pep Guardiola admitted that he had not decided if his captain would play for the club again.
Kyle Walker has been left at home for Man City’s trip to Brentford ahead of his expected exit
City’s players were spotted arriving in west London ahead of their Premier League clash
Notably, wantaway star Walker was not among the arrivals on Tuesday afternoon
Ilkay Gundogan had a grin on his face as he was spotted outside their west London hotel
He said: ‘I don’t know. It depends on how we are going to train (players perform in training). It depends on him.
‘The transfer window will finish when it finishes (at the end of the month) and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I said to him: ‘Now it’s a question of the market.’
Guardiola added that the player could continue to play for another four years. ‘He is an incredible player with incredible physicality,’ he said. ‘When he is focused he is unstoppable as a right-back. He’s a top class player, if he is fit, he can play one, two, three or four more years as a professional.
‘I never saw a player with these physical conditions in my career but he has to decide, not me. It’s not my decision.’
Walker’s prolific reputation as one of the world’s best defenders has also continued to capture the interest of Saudi Arabian sides with a host of heavy-spending teams including Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli all showing interest.
Walker could decide to follow his former City team-mate Riyad Mahrez to the oil-rich kingdom and wouldn’t be short of suitors who could offer the veteran a massive payday as he enters the twilight years of his career.
However, he is understood to be keen on staying in Europe for his family and to save his marriage to Annie Kilner.
Mail Sport revealed on Monday that Walker had held a ‘leaving party’ for friends over the weekend, with his Manchester City career seemingly at an end.
More to follow…
