Kyle Walker could have been wearing lederhosen and eating Weisswurst with Thomas Muller. Instead, Harry Kane is the England international and former Tottenham player who has joined Bayern Munich, the one experiencing Bavarian promotional activities. It might have been Walker. “It was close,” said a man Thomas Tuchel almost tempted to leave English champions for their German counterparts.
A few weeks on, nothing has changed in one respect – Walker is still a Manchester City player – and much else has for him in others. Rather than heading for the exit, he is set to sign a three-year contract. If his status seemed diminished at the end of last season, when he was a substitute for the Champions League final and when Pep Guardiola started picking centre-backs as full-backs, now it is enhanced. Walker has only sat out one minute of this season. His responsibilities have multiplied, including even a role as an unexpected, unwilling penalty taker. Rather than wearing a Bayern shirt, he is donning the City armband. He hopes to keep it when the players and staff hold their annual vote for the captaincy. It will be staged soon.
