Manchester City players convinced Kyle Walker to stay, says Pep Guardiola

Kyle Walker, who signed a two-year extension to his Manchester City contract, celebrates during England’s midweek win in Scotland. Photograph: Colin Poultney/ProSports/Shutterstock

Pep Guardiola has thanked his Manchester City players for convincing Kyle Walker to stay at the club after summer interest from Bayern Munich.

The right-back signed a two-year extension to his City contract this week, keeping him at the club until 2026. In a window in which Ilkay Gündogan, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte left, it was important to maintain Walker’s experience within the squad. The England defender has captained City in recent weeks and is set to have the armband for the trip to West Ham on Saturday.