AC Milan are hoping it will take a fee of up to just £1.7million to make Kyle Walker’s loan deal permanent this summer, according to a report.
Walker, 34, brought his seven-and-a-half year stay at Manchester City to an end at the start of the year as he completed a loan move to the Italian giants. His decision to move to Italy came amid family drama off the pitch, with Walker fighting for his marriage with the mother of four of his children, Annie Kilner, after also fathering two kids with his influencer ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman.
Unfortunately, it has not been an all together good time in Serie A, as the team has struggled for results despite heavy investment and look set to finish outside the European qualification places. Walker’s unenviable position was compounded earlier this month when he suffered a fractured elbow in training and he now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines following surgery.
Nevertheless, according to Calciomercato, Milan are hopeful of making his stay at the San Siro permanent but are only willing to pay up to £1.7m to make it a reality.
The development comes a matter of weeks after Walker revealed that he believes he still could have a future at the Etihad.
‘After I said my goodbyes, Pep [Guardiola] got up and spoke and said a really nice message to me, just saying thank you for everything,’ Walker said on his BBC podcast.
Kyle Walker has made 12 appearances for AC Milan since his January loan move from Manchester City
Former AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, now in an advisory role at the Italian club, was instrumental in Walker’s arrival
The 34-year-old defender said last month that he believes he career at the Etihad is ‘not over’
‘But listen, it’s not over. I’m just on loan here. I’ve got to take that into consideration that I can go back. Obviously, both parties need to come to an agreement come the end of the season and. The chapter’s not fully closed, we’ll see what happens.’
Walker’s remarks may not have sat favourably at the San Siro, while City are known to be planning for life without their former captain next term.
Guardiola was last moth asked whether he’d made contact with Walker, bluntly responding that he ‘is an AC Milan player’.
The 34-year-old wanted to leave the Etihad Stadium over diminishing game time, fearful of how it would impact his international career. Walker featured in both of Thomas Tuchel’s opening World Cup qualifiers in March.
‘I wanted to play in Europe or stay in the Premier League,’ Walker added. ‘I do want to represent my country still and get to a hundred caps. I just want to be able to say that I’ve represented my country 100 times.’