After nearly eight full years of service, Kyle Walker departed Manchester City in the 2025 winter transfer window, joining AC Milan on a loan until the end of the season. As has been seen in Pep Guardiola’s tenure, using Joao Cancelo as an example, a loan such as Walker’s tends to signify the end of a player’s time being managed by Guardiola.
Walker won everything there was to win with the Sky Blues, being part of the Manchester City side that won a European treble in the 2022/23 season. Now 35 years of age, Walker is a veteran of the game who clearly feels that he can continue his career, despite some having been critical of the defender in his time at San Siro.
It would appear that, wherever Walker ends up by the end of the summer transfer window, he will no longer be part of the Rossoneri.
‘Failure Has The Face of Walker’
Englishman has struggled for form in Italy
kyle walker ac milan
As per Sport Witness, Walker featured in 11 Serie A matches for AC Milan but faced battles with injury, meaning that he did not start any of the club’s final seven games in the league. Walker also came off the bench in Milan’s Coppa Italia final, as the club lost 1-0 to Bologna who won their first trophy in over five decades.
Kyle Walker 24/25 Season Stats With AC Milan
Competition
Serie A
Champions League
Coppa Italia
Italian outlet TuttoSport have made a damning claim about the English right-back, stating that “failure has the face of Walker” after a loan spell that they consider to be disappointing. They mockingly reported that Walker did not do a great deal, “apart from attracting attention by spitting water before the start of games and imitating his ‘role model,’ Triple H.”
Sport Witness further detailed that, as per TuttoSport, Walker himself said that remaining in Milan was a possibility, only for them to report that for Milan, “there is no chance he’s signed permanently.”
Why Walker Won't Stay at AC Milan
What does his future hold?
kyle walker
According to Calciomercato, via Sempre Milan, Walker’s performances have made Milan decide against purchasing the defender, who would have been available for a fee of just under £5 million. The right-back’s age, cost, including his salary and underwhelming performances have all been considered by the club.
Sempre Milan noted that, despite Milan switching to a three-man defence, Walker still struggled, even finding himself behind Alex Jimenez in the pecking order. Though Walker is now an older player, the defender should have benefited from an extra man in the centre of defence, though he evidently did not.
AC Milan are now under the guidance of former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, who took over from Sergio Conceicao for what will be the Italian’s second stint in charge of the club. Allegri will, no doubt, be desperate to improve on Milan’s eighth-placed league finish last season, though it seems he will do so without Walker.
It now seems clear that Walker will not be returning to Italy this summer, so the question simply becomes, where will he be playing football in the new campaign?
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 02/06/2025 )
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