Kyle Walker future at Man City 'plunged into doubt' and club have already picked his replacement

Kyle Walker's future at Manchester City is unclear, so much so that the club have lined up his potential replacement.

When Man City completed the signing of Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, few would have predicted that he would go on to have such an impact at the club.

Seven years after he became the most expensive right-back in history, Walker has helped City win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League.

Despite now being 34 years old, Walker still looks capable of playing at the elite level; even if he did have a underwhelming Euro 2024 with England.

The full-back came close to joining Bayern Munich last summer, but City were able to persuade him to stay and sign a new contract after Pep Guardiola went public with his desire to keep the defender.

Last season Walker captained City to a record fourth successive Premier League title, producing performances that defied his age.

However, his future looks uncertain even though his contract does not expire until 2026.

Earlier this summer there were reports that Saudi Pro League Al-Ahli were interested in signing the England international. According to The Sun, Walker reached out to former City teammate Riyad Mahrez for advice about living in Saudi Arabia.

Now, according to The Athletic, City have identified Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong as Walker's replacement, should he end up leaving the club.

That said, the report does state that 'the expectation is that few, if any, players will depart.'

Speaking earlier this summer, Walker outlined his desire to keep playing at the top level for as long as possible.

"I’ll go as long as I can go," he said.

"This is a job that I love. I never wake up and think I don’t want to go in. I love playing football. It’s my happy place."

Frimpong enjoyed a superb 2023-24 season as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title, scoring nine goals and providing nine assists while largely operating as a right-sided midfielder.

The Netherlands international came up through City's youth ranks before joining Celtic in 2019 and then Leverkusen in 2021.