Kyle Walker is closing in on a move to Bayern Munich with talks ongoing between the German giants and Manchester City. The 33-year-old English footballer has one year left on his deal at the Etihad and could be leaving City this summer after being left on the bench for the Champions League final win over Inter Milan earlier this month.
Kyle Walker at a match for Manchester City. Source: Getty The Athletic reported that while there is still a “bit of work to do” to finalize a deal, there is now an “expectation” that the England international will join the Bundesliga champions. Bayern Munich are keen on the right-back with manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly a big fan of his mentality. Initial talks between the player and the club have been held. The Bundesliga giants are on the lookout for a new right-back amid speculation that Benjamin Pavard could leave the club. This is coming after experimenting with City’s Joao Cancelo on loan last season. The German champions are reportedly unlikely to take up Cancelo’s €70-million option to buy. 
Kyle Walker wearing Manchester City’s captain band. Source: Getty City signed Walker from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported £45 million in July 2017. The English international evolved into one of Pep Guardiola’s most versatile defenders during their time together at Eastlands, using his pace on the right of a three-man defense to keep opponents from exploiting City’s high line. He’s won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups, and one Champions League title in six years spent in Manchester. It could be a busy summer for Man City with Josko Gvardiol, Declan Rice, and Mateo Kovacic all linked with moves to the Etihad. City could also lose some high profile players. There are doubts over the future of the club’s captain Ilkay Gündoğan, whose contract expires at the end of this month. Portuguese footballer, Bernardo Silva could also leave the English club.
Declan Rice with the Europa trophy. Source: Getty With two years remaining on his Hammers deal, Rice has made it clear he wants to take his career to the next level. The Gunners made the midfielder their priority summer signing and were facing competition from the German giants, with Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly speaking to the midfielder in recent weeks. However, Bayern Munich withdrew their interest following a meeting of board members on Tuesday, June 13. 
Declan Rice celebrating with his West Ham teammates. Source: Getty German transfer guru Florian Plettenberg has now disclosed that Bayern has decided against making a firm approach. He tweeted; “News #Rice: NO transfer! Bayern has decided today not to submit an offer after all – confirmed. It was the clear trend for days and as reported on Friday, because Rice became more and more expensive. He’s on verge to join @Arsenal now! First call BILD. @SkySportDE.” News #Rice: NO transfer! Bayern has decided today not to submit an offer after all – confirmed ✅ ➡️ It was the clear trend for days and as reported on Friday, because Rice became more and more expensive. He’s on verge to join @Arsenal now! First call BILD. @SkySportDE 🏴 pic.twitter.com/AXLFKWCnPa — Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 13, 2023 With Bayern Munich out of the picture, Arsenal has been handed the opportunity to sign Declan Rice. Manchester United and Chelsea have previously shown an interest but Rice looks set to move to the Emirates Stadium with Arsenal closing in on a deal. West Ham have previously set an asking price of £120m for Rice, though the Gunners are hopeful a deal worth around £100m will be agreed. Any deal will smash Arsenal’s previous club-record outlay of £72million on flop winger Nicolas Pepe. Rice has been expected to leave this summer and last week West Ham chairman David Sullivan confirmed the midfielder was promised a big move. 
Bayern Munich players celebrating their Bundesliga title victory. Source: Twitter Dortmund were leading by two points before their last match for the season but were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Mainz on Saturday, allowing Bayern to finish in first place with goal difference. RB Leipzig and sensational Union Berlin are third and fourth respectively and will also compete in the Champions League next season. 
Borussia Dortmund players shocked by their title loss. Source: Getty Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 have been relegated, while VfB Stuttgart will go into the relegation playoff. 
Nagelsmann was axed after Bayern lost 2-1 at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday, March 19, allowing Dortmund to move to the top of the Bundesliga table. The 35-year-old took charge in 2021 and led Bayern to their 10th German title in a row last season, but they have been unable to replicate that form, and the hierarchy have acted ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals next month. Popular journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that Bayern already has a full agreement in place with Tuchel, with final documents being prepared on Thursday night. 
The former Chelsea boss will be seeking to repeat the feat he achieved upon taking over mid-season at Stamford Bridge. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea, just months into his tenure. He will inherit a talented squad that has underperformed domestically since losing Robert Lewandowski last summer. Tuchel was sacked by the Blues at the beginning of the Premier League campaign and replaced by Graham Potter. Since then, he has been linked to several jobs, including Real Madrid, where Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly on the brink of an exit. Should Bayern beat Manchester City, they could face Chelsea in the semi-finals if the Blues get past Real Madrid; meaning Tuchel would come up against his replacement Graham Potter on the touchline just months after his dismissal. 
Cancelo’s loan move to Bayern Munich led to speculation of him reportedly falling out with Guardiola. However, addressing the claim at a press conference, Guardiola insisted that all is well between him and the Portuguese footballer in spite of the loan deal which includes a €70 million (£62m/$76m) purchase option. He said; 
“I wish him the very best. He has been an incredible figure in winning two Premier League titles. After the World Cup we have been playing in different patterns and I’ve given more time to other players. “Everyone has their own personality. He loves to play, he trains the best but he needs to play to be happy, so we decided together to let him go to Munich. He wants to play every game so hopefully that can happen in Munich.” When asked about possible replacements, Guardiola said he would wait and see if the club needs to target another full-back at the end of the season. 
Cancelo has been a key player for City in recent times, taking in 36 appearances for the Premier League champions last season while making the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in each of the last two campaigns. Some English media platforms reported that Manchester United and Bayern Munich are working out a short-term move with an option to buy him for €70 million (£61.6 million). The 28-year-old spent three and a half years at the Etihad after joining the club from Juventus in 2019 for €65 million (£60 million). 
Cancelo is now eager to leave to get first-team football after losing his place since the World Cup. The Portugal international has only started three of City’s 10 games since the World Cup and has not featured since the Manchester derby defeat. City’s shift in tactics, plus the emergence of teenager Rico Lewis, the ability of Nathan Ake to play left-back, and the fact manager Pep Guardiola has five central defenders in his squad means they believe they have enough cover to cope without him for the rest of the season. Bayern has already lost left-back Lucas Hernandez for the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury. 
The club’s full-back Noussair Mazrouai was also sidelined recently, though they did sign the Netherlands international Daley Blind. If Cancelo seals a switch before the winter window closes on Tuesday, then he would be in line to make his debut for Bayern in either a DFB-Pokal clash with Mainz on Wednesday or a Bundesliga trip to Wolfsburg on Sunday.