Kyle Walker set for Manchester City return as hopes fade of permanent AC Milan transfer | OneFootball

Kyle Walker is expected to be back at Manchester City at the end of his ongoing loan spell at AC Milan after fracturing an elbow in training recently, as per a new report.

The 34-year-old will enter the final 12 months of his Manchester City contract this summer and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported recently there is no future for the Sheffield-born defender at the Etihad Stadium.

Walker was deemed surplus to requirements by City in January after a disastrous run of form personally for the England international, who decided against joining Bayern Munich two years ago to stay on with the four-in-a-row Premier League champions after leading them to a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign.

However, the full-back is past his prime and after being an indispensable piece of Pep Guardiola’s backline since his arrival from Tottenham in 2017, Walker has proved to be a liability in the last 12-18 months and he is highly likely to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

AC Milan have given Walker a new lease of life amidst events off the pitch that have put the defender in spotlight for all the wrong reasons, which has been deemed to be a reason for the right-back’s decision to move abroad when he headed to Italy in January.

However, it is highly unlikely that Walker’s stay in the Serie A will be made permanent come the summer as AC Milan – who are in ninth place in the Italian top-flight – are struggling to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League and will look to cut costs across the board in the coming transfer window.

As reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, whose information has been relayed by Sport Witness, Walker is most likely set for a return to Manchester City when he finishes his loan stint at AC Milan at the end of June.

The Italian giants are reluctant to meet Manchester City’s €5 million asking price to sign Walker on a permanent deal from the summer and with the defender recently fracturing his right elbow in AC Milan training, it is unlikely he will play any major role in the Diavolo’s remaining games this term.

However, AC Milan are mulling over a possible permanent swoop for Walker beyond his loan spell despite their financial restraints – keeping in mind the Englishman has impressed on the pitch so far for his new club, as detailed by Martin Blackburn writing for Sun Sport.

All things considered, it remains almost certain that Walker will be moved on by Manchester City in the summer and that the Sheffield United academy graduate will play no part for Guardiola next term, with the Blues eyeing a summer move for Juventus right-back Andrea Cambiaso to bolster their wide defensive options.