- AC Milan have decided against signing Kyle Walker permanently after his loan
- The England defender moved from Manchester amid family drama off the pitch
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Kyle Walker will return to Manchester City at the end of the season with AC Milan reportedly deciding against signing him permanently.
The England defender moved to the Rossoneri in January on loan, ending his seven-and-a-half year stint in Manchester.
His Italy switch 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.
Walker hit the ground running in Italy with three unbeaten results from his first three starts.
But his form dipped as Milan, who currently sit in eight in Serie A, struggled domestically and in Europe.
The 34-year-old featured 12 times in all competitions for Sergio Conceicao’s side but has remained sidelined since undergoing surgery on a fractured elbow in April.
AC Milan have reportedly deciding against signing England full-back Kyle Walker permanently
Walker moved from Man City in January as he looked to save his marriage with Annie Kilner
Walker moved to AC Milan on loan in January and has featured 12 times in all competitions
Although Walker’s deal includes an option to buy of just £4.2million (€5m) after the loan expires, Milan do not want to sign him permanently, according to Calciomercato.
The former Tottenham star’s elbow injury paired with Alex Jimenez’s impressive form at right-wing back are said to have convinced Milan’s hierarchy against a permanent move.
Jimenez, who is just 20, was originally signed for Milan’s under-23 side, but has made 20 appearances in Serie A this season.
Walker said he ‘wanted to cry’ when he left City and previously admitted he didn’t think his time at the Etihad was over.
‘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.
‘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.
The treble winner 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.
Walker’s Italy switch came as he fought for his marriage with the mother of four of his children
His elbow injury and the emergence of Alex Jimenez have persuaded Milan against signing him
Walker, who joined City in 2017, previously admitted he didn’t think his time there was over
‘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.’
With just two league games remaining, Milan are in serious danger of missing out on European qualification and sit three points behind Roma in sixth.
They could still end the season with silverware and face Bologna in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday evening.
