Andrea Cambiaso reveals truth on Pep Guardiola calls – Manchester City intensify Kyle Walker replacement search | OneFootball

Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso has given a peak through the curtain into rumoured conversations between the Italian and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a January switch to the Etihad Stadium after Kyle Walker joined AC Milan on loan till the end of the 2024-25 season after falling out of favour with Guardiola in the closing months of 2024.

Cambiaso has been identified as an ideal long-term replacement for Walker by Manchester City, who are understood to have attempted to bring the Italy international to England midway through the recent season.

Newcastle’s Valentino Livramento is also amongst the options being considered by Manchester City’s newly-appointed director of football Hugo Viana, who has laid down an early marker by securing the arrivals of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki in time for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup campaign.

City are believed to be eyeing another right-back ahead of the new season after telling Walker he has no future at the club as the 35-year-old enters the final 12 months of his current deal. Walker has also been excluded from the Club World Cup squad to find a new club.

Newcastle are adamant on keeping hold of Livramento and the length of time – three years – remaining on the 22-year-old’s St. James’ Park contract has proven to be a stumbling block in talks, who have now met an impasse as Manchester City reconsider if they want to push further or turn their attention to alternative targets.

Having done a major chunk of their transfer business in the first 10 days of June, City have ample time to ponder upon who will be the right fit to take over the right-back spot in the longer run, after the likes of Matheus Nunes, Rico Lewis and Abdukodir Khusanov shared the workload in Walker’s absence in the second half of the recent season.

Manchester City are ready to walk away from negotiations if Newcastle seem unwilling to agree on a fee – as they did with Bayer Leverkusen in talks for Florian Wirtz, who is set to join Liverpool for a reported initial fee of £116 million – instead signing Cherki from Lyon for an initial £30.5 million.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Cambiaso has given an insight into rumoured talks with Guardiola over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City pursue the addition of a new right-back.

“I haven’t received any calls, maybe my agents have. Only death is certain in life for sure, but I’m happy here,” Cambiaso said when asked if Guardiola called him directly in January.

“I haven’t spoken to (Igor) Tudor, but I know the club and the coach are crazy about me. I feel everyone’s trust, I’m happy in Turin and I’ve never asked to leave.”

“From a personal and mental point of view I have made great progress. It’s a difficult season for me too, the second part didn’t go as I would have liked, but now I’ve put it all behind me.

“Now I feel good and my condition will improve with the games. I had physical problems that affected me heavily but nothing more, I’m 25 years old and I play for Juventus, I don’t have any other problems.”