Kyle Walker has rejected a move to Saudi Arabia in a bid to keep his chances of playing for England alive.
Walker has informed Manchester City chiefs that he wants to leave the club in this month's transfer window. The decision came out of the blue, with the right-back having been a key player for Pep Guardiola's side this season.
The 34-year-old has spent eight years with City, winning seven Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League. He has endured a difficult campaign this term though, with his form enduring a downturn.
He was left out of the hammering of Salford City in the FA Cup on Saturday due to his transfer request. Despite demanding an exit though, Walker has turned down one possible move.
According to The Sun, Walker rejected a mega-money move to the Saudi Pro League because he still holds ambitions of earning 100 caps for England. He has been capped 93 times for the Three Lions so far.
But the defender fears that a move to the Middle East would see him fall out of Thomas Tuchel's plans. The decision to reject Saudi is said to have nothing to do with his wife Annie Kilner.
Walker has four children with Kilner, but also has two kids with ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman. Instead of Saudi, Walker is targeting a move to Italy, in the hope of leaving his 'tangled love live' behind.
The 34-year-old's decision to reject a move to the Saudi Pro League comes as Guardiola kept the door firmly open for Walker to remain. The Spaniard has insisted any deal taking him away from the Etihad has to be right for City as well as the England international.
“I don't know,” said Guardiola, when asked if he will select Walker while his future remains unresolved. “It depends on how we are going to train. It depends on him.
“The situation is different now, but the transfer window will finish when it finishes and I don't know what's going to happen. I said to Kyle now it's a question of the market.
"He is an incredible player, with incredible physicality and when he's focused he's unstoppable as a right-back. He's a top-class player. If he's fit he can play for one, two, three or four more years as a professional.
“I've never seen a player with these physical conditions in my career. If he wants to explore a move away, the club is going to explore, and he has to decide, not me. It's not my decision. But he has to have an agreement with the club.”