Man City star Nathan Ake insists Kyle Walker’s exit would be ‘MASSIVE’ blow

A Manchester City star has insisted Kyle Walker would be 'massively' missed if he leaves the club in the January transfer window.

City's captain was a notable omission from the side that defeated Salford City 8-0 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, with Pep Guardiola revealing after the match that Walker plans to seek pastures new this month.

Walker's departure could deal a further blow to City's dwindling title hopes, and one of his defensive colleagues has now expressed fears he could lose such a key member of the dressing room.

When asked whether Walker's leadership would be a loss, Dutch defender Nathan Aké replied: 'Extremely. He is a big player for us, a big character.

'He's a good guy too, I'm very good [friends] with him. Let's see what happens. There's no doubt he's been a big player for us.”

Walker was at the heart of City's trophy-laden era under Guardiola. In seven brilliant seasons at the Etihad, he won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. .

And while Walker has made frequent mistakes this season, Ake has been quick to come to his captain's defense.

“He's been huge for us over the years,” he added. 'A big character in the team this year too. He deserves a lot of credit for all the years he has been a top player for this club.”

City's future stars were on display for all to see against Salford, with youngsters Nico O'Reilly, 19, and Divin Mubama, 20, getting on the scoresheet before 22-year-old James McAtee scored a second-half hat-trick to complete the pounding.

Aké, the foundation of City's next generation, hopes the squad's more experienced chiefs can continue to nurture the club's burgeoning talent.

“We have a good mix of young players,” he said. 'See [against Salford] there are many young players.

'We have older players too, so there is a good mix at the moment and the club has always been good at finding the right balance between ages. I'm sure they will continue to do so.'

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