Kyle Walker is unhappy with his playing time.

Walker is a fullback who has been an integral part of Manchester City’s lineup since joining from Tottenham Hotspur. Already considered one of the best fullbacks in the English Premier League (EPL) from his time at Tottenham, Walker has taken his game to the next level at City and become a world-class player.

However, he hasn’t received much playing time recently. That’s because of Pep Guardiola’s tactical changes. After a tactical overhaul before and during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, City used a 3-2-4-1 formation for the remainder of the season, and Walker’s position and role don’t lend themselves to opportunities in that formation. Walker’s inability to play an inverted fullback role has also affected his playing time.

Walker has been used as a right-back in the back three, but only when the opposition has a quick-footed winger on the left flank. The UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals were a prime example. Facing Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, City deployed Walker on the right side of their back three, tasked with stopping Vinicius Junior. Possessing great speed and excellent one-on-one defensive skills, Walker shut down Vinicius completely in the second leg to help seal the win.

That didn’t mean he was a consistent starter. Walker wasn’t even in the starting lineup for the UCL final. This led to reports that Walker was unhappy with his playing time, and that Bayern Munich, aware of his situation, were targeting him.

According to the Daily Mail, “Munich are in talks to sign Walker. Walker has one year left on his contract but did not play as much as he would have liked last season. City are also unlikely to renew Walker’s contract. Walker has admitted to being disappointed after being left out of the starting lineup for the UCL final.”스포츠토토

City fans are used to seeing players leave for Munich after complaining about their playing time. It happened to Joao Cancelo last season. He too lost his place in the changed tactics and was sent out on loan to Munich in the winter transfer window. It’s also interesting to note that both Kancelu and Walker are fullbacks.