“We will do everything”: Pep Guardiola welcomes battle to keep Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is confident Manchester City will do everything in their power to ward off interest in Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva.

Walker is heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich after losing his starting spot to Guardiola in the latter part of City’s title-winning campaign last season.

The 33-year-old is understood to be keen on a new challenge and to join Thomas Tuchel in Germany, although City have offered the Englishman a new deal to extend his six-year stint at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva has once again drawn interest from abroad having been open to a move away from Manchester for over two summers.

The Portuguese has two years left on his current deal at City and is understood to have been offered a new, lucrative contract as the European champions look to keep hold of one of Guardiola’s most important midfielders.

Guardiola is well aware of interest in his players, especially after a historic, treble-winning season, and has admitted that whilst he doesn’t wish to keep anyone at City against their wishes, the club will do everything they can to make Walker and Silva stay past the window.

Previewing City’s upcoming Community Shield meeting with Arsenal at Wembley in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Guardiola said: “We will do everything (to keep Walker and Silva). They are so important to us.

“We want them and will do everything. We want them to stay because he wants to stay. We will do everything. Replacing these two (Walker and Silva would be so difficult.”

Barcelona have held a long-drawn admiration for Silva and Guardiola addressed his boyhood club’s interest in the 28-year-old. “I don’t want any players who don’t want to be here (at Manchester City).

“I want to work with guys who want to stay. But we need a proper offer, we didn’t – if they (Barcelona) want him, they’ll get on a plane and speak to our sporting director.”