Kyle Walker has left Manchester City and joined AC Milan on an initial six-month loan, with the Serie A club having an option to buy him permanently this summer.
The 34-year-old asked to leave City earlier in January with his last appearance for the club coming in the 4-1 home win over West Ham at the start of the month.
City accepted Milan’s formal loan offer on Thursday. The option to buy in the summer is worth around £4.2m (€5m), according to Sky in Italy.
Walker has helped City win 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League, since joining the club in a £50m deal from Tottenham in 2017.
He was close to joining Bayern Munich after City’s treble win in 2023, but signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2026.
Walker departs City having made 319 appearances for the club across seven-and-half-seasons at the Etihad Stadium, while he captained the side for last season’s historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
The England international will wear the number 32 shirt at AC Milan, who sit eighth in Serie A and are on course to finish in the top eight of the Champions League table with Sergio Conceicao’s occupying sixth spot.
Walker: I’ll be forever grateful to Pep
Walker said he will be “forever grateful” to Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who brought him to the club in 2017.
The ex-Sheffield Utd defender posted on Instagram: “Manchester City… where do I start? Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true. Seven years later, winning 17 trophies, including the Champions League and the famous treble is something I could only have dreamt as a child.
“To play alongside so many top players has pushed me to be the best version of myself, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity I’ve had at the Etihad.
Watch Kyle Walker arrive in Milan ahead of completing his move to the Serie A side
“A huge thank you to so many people, the coaching staff, the kit men and all the backroom staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes. You make every day enjoyable and provide the platform for us to perform at our best.
“To my team-mates, from the moment I walked through the door I felt at home. Thank you for the great memories and for all the success we have shared together. You are friends, but also family for life.
“To Pep Guardiola, thank you for believing in me and working so hard to bring me here in 2017. Together, we’ve celebrated 17 trophies, and your guidance has helped shape me into the player I am today. I’ll be forever grateful.
“To Annie, our children and all my family who have been there and supported me on this journey thank you.
“Most importantly, to the fans – thank you for embracing me as one of your own from day one. Your unwavering support, week in, week out, home and away, will never be forgotten.
“I wish you all constant success going forward. Thank you.”
Walker one of Pep’s most trusted – but time catches up with everyone
Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom:
By the end of his first season in charge, Pep Guardiola had realised that it would take a massive overhaul of the Manchester City squad to win the trophies he’d been brought in to deliver.
Ten regular first-team players were shown the exit door in the summer of 2017 and a raft of new talent was brought in to pave the way for an era of domestic dominance.
Central to that was the signing of Kyle Walker, who at the time was the most expensive defender in English football history, arriving from Tottenham for a fee worth more than £50m including add-ons.
Guardiola needed more energy from his full-backs to realise his vision, and Walker was seen to be the perfect upgrade on fan-favourite Pablo Zabaleta, who was released at the age of 32.
Eyebrows were raised at the time, but in the seven-and-a-half years since, Walker has repaid that transfer fee many times over.
Read Ben Ransom’s Reporter Notebook in full here.
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