Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez are linked with pre-season exits from the Etihad – with Bayern Munich and Al Ahli said to be close to signing the pair respectively.
It could be a significant week for Manchester City.
The first team will report back for pre-season training on Monday, before flying out to Japan for their pre-season tour on Wednesday. They will acclimatize, train, and play their first game of the summer against Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday.
This week will determine what tactics Pep Guardiola will pursue over the season. He regularly bemoans the fixture schedule and lack of opportunity to work on the training pitch regarding tactics and new ideas. These four weeks in pre-season – plus the lighter schedule for August – is likely to be the only time all season that Guardiola won’t have to manage three games a week.
So getting the ball rolling in the first week will determine how City mean to go on. It’s unhelpful, then, that two key players have reportedly decided to leave.
