From Italy: AC Milan landed blow in pursuit of permanent deal for €5M-rated Manchester City defender | OneFootball

AC Milan will seek a discount on Manchester City’s €5 million asking price to sanction a permanent exit for Kyle Walker in the summer, as per a report from Italy.

Walker joined AC Milan in January after losing a starting place in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI in the backdrop of a severe loss of form and speed that previously made the England international one of the first names on City’s teamsheet.

Two years on from turning down a move to Bayern Munich, Walker is expected to leave Manchester City permanently when he finishes his six-month loan stint in Italy.

The former Manchester City captain penned an emotional farewell message to the Premier League champions – whom he joined from Tottenham in 2017 – when he left the club midway through a difficult season that could still see the Blues miss out on UEFA Champions League qualification.

City sit in fifth place in the Premier League table with nine games to go and the FA Cup remains their sole shot at silverware this term ahead of a quarter-final meeting with Bournemouth in ten days’ time.

Walker was pivotal to Manchester City en route to a historic treble in the 2022-23 season, guarding the backline against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Leroy Sane as the Blues claimed their premier Champions League title after years of misery in Europe.

However, the 34-year-old is beyond his prime and has no future at the Etihad Stadium after a series of unreliable displays at right-back for Manchester City, who have suffered from a flurry of high-profile absences in defence this season.

According to TuttoSport, whose information has been relayed by Sport Witness, AC Milan have expressed their desire to sign Walker permanently at the end of the loan move in the summer.

The Serie A giants are in touch with Walker’s agent Mark Rankine, partnered with CAA Stellar Agency, and will seek a discount on Manchester City’s €5 million asking price for the loan to be made permanent.

However, City are highly unlikely to accommodate a request to lower their valuation of Walker, who has won a plethora of silverware at the Etihad Stadium and has been a regular for AC Milan since he joined the club in January.