WALK OF LIFE

Pep: Dire straits if Kyle left

- DAVID ANDERSON

PEP GUARDIOLA insists Manchester City would have had a "big, big problem" if Kyle Walker had joined the exodus of experienced players.

Old hands such as Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez left in the summer and Guardiola was adamant he did not want Walker to follow them, with Bayern Munich keen to snap him up.

He launched a charm offensive, telling the defender over dinner how important he is - and Walker signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday, tying him to the club until 2026.