He’s the long-term Kyle Walker replacement we’ve been crying out for.” Transfer journalist has just shared big update on social media – and Man City fans can’t quite believe the news they’ve heard

Manchester City fans are living through another chapter of emotions, excitement and fear at the same time, because football always has a way of making supporters dream big and panic in the same breath. Ever since Kyle Walker left the Etihad, there has been a silent hole in the squad that everyone can see but nobody likes to talk about. They respect Walker too much, he was one of the greatest right-backs in Premier League history and every Man City supporter knows that. He ran for the badge, he fought for the badge, and he gave everything until the last second of his journey. When he left for Burnley, it was painful but people understood. He wanted to keep playing week after week, and Burnley gave him that chance. Now at 35 years old, Walker is still running like a warrior, starting all 11 matches for Burnley this season and helping them stay above the relegation zone. Even away from City, he remains a soldier of football.

But football moves fast and sentiment cannot slow Pep Guardiola down. This season City have changed, they have evolved, they have transformed. Kevin De Bruyne, the magic man of Manchester, left for Napoli during the summer and even though everyone cried inside their heart, the truth was that City had to keep moving. You cannot replace De Bruyne, nobody can. But Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki have all stepped up and supplied Erling Haaland in their own special ways. They are writing their own chapter while respecting the history before them. The defence has also looked more solid in recent games and the team continues to dominate most opponents. But even with all the success, fans know there is one position that has needed attention for too long, and it is the right-back position.

Matheus Nunes has played there out of position. Abdukodir Khusanov has played there out of position. Rico Lewis has tried to fill the gap too. But none of them are true right-backs, and none of them can give Pep what Walker gave the team for so many years. Walker was an engine, a fighter, a leader, a guardian. When he left, he didn’t just leave gaps in defence, he left emotional gaps too. Every single fan knows that. When teams run at City’s right side, supporters sometimes hold their breath, because that side used to be protected by a lion. The search for his replacement has been going on quietly in the background and now something massive has come to the surface.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have added a new target to their list and the story has exploded across fan pages, social media and WhatsApp groups. The name is Givairo Read, the 19-year-old superstar from Feyenoord who has been destroying opponents every week in the Eredivisie. Bayern Munich are also pushing for him. Two giants. One player. One battlefield. And suddenly the emotions of Manchester City fans have gone from quiet hope to full excitement and panic because they want this signing badly. They don’t want Bayern to take another one of their dream targets. Fans are already talking like Givairo Read is the chosen one, the one who can fill Walker’s shoes and protect that right-back position for the next decade.

Under tweets and football forums, City supporters are shouting the same message. “We NEED him.” One fan wrote that Bayern are moving fast as usual, and if City actually act in 2026, Givairo Read could be the long-term replacement they have been crying out for. Another fan said that the kid is only 19 but already looks like a top-level right-back and if Pep gets him, the Premier League will be cooked again. Someone else imagined Read playing with Rodri building behind him and said the league is not ready for that combination. Their words are not just comments; they are prayers from fans who believe they have finally found their Walker 2.0.

Even though Walker is loved forever, football has entered a new era at Manchester City. Fans are ready for the next right-back to own that position for many years, and some of them already believe Givairo Read can do it. At only 19, he is playing like an experienced defender, fast, strong, aggressive but also incredibly calm on the ball. He is not afraid to run forward. He is not afraid to take risks. He plays football like someone who wants to dominate the world, not someone who is happy just to play. People say the Netherlands has produced many classy full-backs and Givairo Read might be the next big name on that list.

Right now he has three assists in 15 games this season, and last season he produced 10 goal contributions from defence. That kind of attacking production from a right-back in European football is not normal. That is elite. That is dangerous. That is the type of profile Guardiola studies for his tactical system. That is the kind of player Bayern Munich sees as the future too. And that is the reason both clubs are now preparing for a transfer battle. It is not war on the pitch, but it is war in negotiation rooms.

If City want him, they cannot wait. Bayern are faster when it comes to transfers. Bayern do not waste time. Bayern always try to steal the best talents early. Fans know this. And that is why their emotions are boiling. The possibility of missing out on Read feels painful even though he is not even a City player yet. Football is strange like that. The heart sometimes claims a player before a contract is ever signed.

Givairo Read came through the FC Volendam academy before moving to Feyenoord. He made only one senior appearance for Volendam before the big transfer. At Feyenoord he has grown like a rocket. He has already played for the Under-21 Dutch national team and many experts believe it is only a matter of time before he gets his first senior international call-up. He is strong, young and already reliable. His contract at Feyenoord runs until 2029, which means he won’t be cheap and Feyenoord will not be desperate to sell him. Many clubs will queue to sign him. City know it. Bayern know it. And Read knows it too.

This story is not just about football ability. It is about supporters wanting a player who fits their identity. They want somebody to run with passion, to defend with pride, to play with courage, to make opponents fear that right side again. Walker did that for so many years and now his shadow remains over the club. City want a new warrior to rise in that position. City want someone who understands the weight of the shirt, the responsibility of defending champions and the pressure of a team that wants to win everything every single season.

Some fans say that if Pep signs Givairo Read, it will be another masterclass. Others say that this signing could secure the right-back position for 10 years. Some are already comparing him to Walker, and some say he could be even more dangerous in attack. That is how high the expectations are. This is why emotions are not calm. When a club becomes used to success, every transfer becomes a decision for the future of the dynasty. One wrong move can slow things down. One right move can strengthen everything again.

Right now the whole story is building like a movie. Bayern Munich vs Manchester City. Vincent Kompany vs Pep Guardiola influence. Walker’s legacy vs the next era. A 19-year-old caught in the attention of two giants. A fan base dreaming about the next right-back. A position that has been weak since Walker left. A new hero potentially entering the picture.

If City win the race, the Etihad fanbase will explode with happiness. If Bayern win the race, City fans will feel heartbreak. That is how brutal football is. People are already imagining Read walking out in sky blue, hearing the Etihad roar, playing under Guardiola, learning next to Ruben Dias, sprinting down the right wing with Haaland and Foden waiting in the box. That is the dream.

Nobody knows how this story will end. But one thing is sure. Manchester City fans are fully locked in emotionally. They believe Givairo Read could be the missing piece. They believe this is the moment to build the next great era. They believe Pep Guardiola is preparing something again. And that belief is what makes football beautiful.

Whether he arrives or not, the hype is real, the future is uncertain, and football is writing another chapter where every fan will wait, refresh, check updates and pray that Manchester City make the move before Bayern Munich strike