Gary Neville believes that Kyle Walker’s request to leave Man City may be due to the mental and physical strain of keeping up with the demands of Premier League football.
The City captain has informed director of football Txiki Begiristain of his wish to depart this month, with AC Milan showing interest. Since expressing his desire to leave, Walker has not featured in matches against Salford City and Brentford.
Despite remaining club captain, Walker has not worn the armband during recent substitute appearances and has struggled with his form this season, facing fitness issues as the City squad endures a challenging period.
On the Stick to Football podcast, Neville suggested that Walker’s decision to seek a move could be related to the difficulties he’s faced during this tough campaign.
“He’s captain of the team, it’s midway through a challenging season. When I saw that he had asked to leave, he’s got a good relationship with the manager – but I reckon he said he’s just done,” he said.
“At City, the demands of Pep Guardiola and playing at that level, I think he thinks that he can’t do it anymore at this level and just wants to get out. Mentally and physically, he just looks beaten – that’s just what I feel, I don’t know.”
Roy Keane suggested that Kyle Walker’s off-field problems could be impacting his performance, given that his personal life has frequently made headlines in the media and gossip columns.
Keane also advised Manchester City to view Walker’s request to leave as a business transaction, noting that the club has previously secured good value from players who have left in recent seasons.
“A lot of players have off the pitch issues – not just Kyle Walker – and eventually it does catch up with your performance on the pitch and it takes its toll on you,” he said.
“I have no problem with a player saying that he needs a change, but in the middle of the season when your team are struggling – I would just bide my time. I still think Manchester City will look at this as a business deal.
“It is affecting his game now – I think it has taken its toll. Other players have been under huge pressure, whether it be Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, they get on with it and the best place for them to be is the football pitch.
“For other players, the pressure piles on them and then their performances are affected. I think Pep will look after him, but whether that’ll mean letting him go on the cheap, I don’t know.”
