Kyle Walker reveals ‘uncomfortable’ exit talks with Pep Guardiola after joining AC Milan | OneFootball

Kyle Walker endured an uncomfortable conversation with Pep Guardiola when the defender told the Manchester City manager he wanted to leave the club.

Walker has joined AC Milan on loan for the rest of the season in a deal that includes an option to stay at the San Siro permanently in the summer.

The 34-year-old has been a staple for both City and England over the past seven years, winning 17 trophies at the Etihad after moving from Tottenham for £45m in 2017. But he found himself on the periphery at times this season and requested to leave in order to play more minutes.

At his unveiling in Milan, Walker said: When I spoke with Pep, it wasn’t a very comfortable conversation – mainly because of the respect we have for each other.

“What he’s won at Manchester City, I’ve won it, too. I like to think he knows what I bring to a dressing room, the atmosphere I create. City was my family – from the cooks to the cleaners, the kit men and physios. I like to think I was liked and helped everyone blend in. But things weren’t going well there and I wasn’t playing enough football. Hopefully I can play a bit more here.”

Kyle Walker in conversation with AC Milan's senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Reuters)

Had Guardiola turned down his request to leave in January, Walker – who has not started a Premier League game since the derby defeat by Manchester United in December – says he would have stayed to fight for his place, usurped in recent weeks by his young England teammate Rico Lewis and even the Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes.

“I could have stayed in Manchester, I would have honoured the contract if they hadn’t let me leave because that’s me as a person. But it comes down to challenges where you think ‘OK I need to try something different’.

“I’ve spoken to many ex-players who never moved abroad and told me they wished they had. If it hadn’t been a big club I’d have stayed with City. There are only certain clubs you can’t say no to and this was the opportunity I wanted, I had a gut feeling.”

Walker joins fellow England internationals Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek at Milan, who are seventh in Serie A.

Milan’s current right-back, Emerson Royal, is injured for around two months.