OFFICIAL: Kyle Walker ends 7-year stint with City to join AC Milan

Kyle Walker is no longer a Manchester City player. The 34-year-old defender has officially completed his transfer to eight-time Champions League winners AC Milan after a nine-year spell at the Etihad. He joined City from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 for £50million and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League in those years.

The 2023 Champions League winner joins the 'Rossoneri' on loan with a non-mandatory option to-buy clause included in the deal. Walker has put pen on a one-and-a-half-year contract until June 2027, however, it would only be activated if Milan, who will cover the player's salary, choose to buy him on a permanent deal at the end of the season.

"Manchester City... where do I start? Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true," Walker wrote on social media. "Seven years later, winning 17 trophies, including the Champions League and the famous treble is something I could only have dreamt as a child." His signing helps compensate for the loss of Emerson Royal, who picked up an injury midweek that could rule out the Brazilian right-back for up to two months.

In a separate social media post, Walker - who will be reunited with other England internationals Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the San Siro - spoke of his excitement in joining the Italian giants. "I'm delighted and proud to sign for AC Milan!" he said. "A club with such a rich history, one I've followed since I was a kid. It's an honour to join and I can't wait to pull on the Rossoneri shirt and get started. He added: "A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, both on and off the pitch. See you soon! Forza Milan."

 

January 24, 2025

Despite having 18 months remaining on his current contract - expiring in June 2026 - Walker decided to call it quits as Pep Guardiola broke the news that the defender had asked to leave the club earlier this month. “It’s not easy for me to say because he should say, but he’s not here, so, two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career," the Catalan said after Walker did not feature in his side's 8-0 FA Cup third-round win over Salford.

In the same press conference, Guardiola confirmed that at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, he convinced Walker to stay and sign a new contract amid interest from Bayern Munich. "He asked two years ago after the Treble. I think Bayern Munich wanted him but the offer wasn't good enough and the club asked him (to stay) because of how important he is." But the City head coach could persuade the player to stay this time.

The Sky Blues captain's decision to leave comes after a season filled with struggles. Walker was heavily targeted for his loss of form with criticism turning into racist abuse on social media. After the 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League last month, the full-back received a derogatory message from a fan on Instagram, followed by a picture where he had been mocked up as a terrorist.

Walker also saw his starting place in the team fade away with his last start dating back to December 15 - the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. The defender has since only made appearances off the bench, getting cameos in the defeat to Villa and the victories over Leicester and West Ham in the Premier League. With the arrivals of youngsters Khusanov and Vitor Reis, the Englishman's role in the backline would have been further under threat had he stayed.

Now at AC Milan, Walker has fulfilled his long-term wish to move abroad and continue to play at the top level. Although he had gathered interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, it is understood that he was only interested in offers that were attractive from a footballing perspective, not just financial. Walker will be tasked with salvaging the 'Rossoneri's rollercoaster season under new manager Sergio Conceicao.

Milan currently find themselves in 8th place in the Serie A standings and are still in the race for direct qualification into the Champions League knockout stage as they sit in 12th with 12 points in the league-phase table. With the signing of the former Man City captain, Milan will not be able to continue their pursuit of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford as Italian law only allows two non-EU players to be registered per season.