Kyle Walker rejected by European giants before completing Man City exit to Milan | OneFootball

Real Madrid rejected the chance to sign former Manchester City captain Kyle Walker this month before he completed his loan move to AC Milan, according to a report in Spain.

The veteran full-back told Pep Guardiola of his desire to spend the remaining years of his career playing abroad shortly after the January transfer window opened. Milan were immediately put forward as the strongest suitors, despite interest from their city rivals Inter, and ultimately announced his arrival on Friday.

However, the Spanish publication MARCA claims that Real Madrid were offered the opportunity to sign Walker on loan for six months if they covered the entire cost of his City salary. The Spanish giants bluntly rejected that proposal.

While Carlo Ancelotti has supposedly clashed with the club's hierarchy over a lack of defensive reinforcements this month, Madrid's stance in the January window has been clear: Trent Alexander-Arnold or nothing.

The Liverpool right-back has been the subject of multiple bids from the Spanish giants this month, all of which have been rebuffed by Arne Slot's Premier League leaders. The Merseyside outfit have reportedly decided to keep their academy graduate at Anfield for the remainder of the current campaign in the hope that he will be persuaded to sign a new contract extension before his existing deal expires in the summer.

Madrid are poised to snap Alexander-Arnold up on a free transfer in July and never had any intention of complicating that move by acquiring his compatriot who plays in the same position.

Ancelotti is in desperate need of right-back reinforcements - which helps explain the club's early offerings for Alexander-Arnold. Following the season-ending knee injury suffered by Dani Carvajal in October, the converted winger Lucas Vazquez has been Madrid's first-choice option on the right side of defence.

The popular 33-year-old has struggled under the scrutiny of so much game time, forcing Ancelotti to sporadically deploy defensive midfielder Federico Valverde in that role. Despite the defensive difficulties the club have endured - which include consecutive thrashings at the hands of Barcelona - they turned down the chance to sign Walker.