Kyle Walker says farewell to players and staff as flight pending to finalise Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Manchester City players and staff have reportedly said final farewells to club captain Kyle Walker, who is expected in Europe this week to complete an exit this month.

The 34-year-old defender issued a formal request to the Premier League champions’ Director of Football earlier this month, insisting that he wanted to explore his options and particularly the opportunity to play abroad at the tail-end of his top-level career.

Since opening up on the change in scenario for the Manchester City captain, Pep Guardiola has largely taken a back seat on matters when questioned during media conferences, but admitted that he would be happy to see Walker stay at the club, and accepting if an exit was finalised.

“At the end of the transfer window, if he stays at Manchester City we’ll be happy he stays. If he has to leave, it will happen. The rest, I don’t want to add anything else,” Pep Guardiola told reporters recently.

AC Milan have emerged as the clear frontrunner for the defender’s first new contract since 2017, moving ahead of competition from Saudi Arabia and in the case of some reports, their city rivals Inter Milan.

Now, according to the information of notable Manchester City insider ‘FPLMaineRoad’ on X, and confirmed by several other sources since, Kyle Walker has had his last day at the Etihad Stadium and said goodbyes to players and staff on Monday.

Football journalist ‘Sam C’ reporting on X has gone on to further reveal that Kyle Walker to AC Milan is now being considered as ‘imminent’, while MailSport’s Craig Hope states that the 34-year-old is expected in Milan on Tuesday ahead of completing a loan from Manchester City.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has remained confident in Kyle Walker’s abilities for the remainder of the England international’s top-level career, recently revealing his belief that the veteran full-back has up to four more years left at the very height of the game.

“Incredible player, incredible physicality,” Guardiola told reporters in a recent press conference. “When focussed, he’s unstoppable. A top class player!”

Guardiola continued to reporters, “If he’s fit and his mind is there, he can play one, two, three, four more years. I’ve never seen a player with this physical condition in my career.”

Kyle Walker has been absent from all of Manchester City’s three matches since submitting his request to the club over an exit, missing Pep Guardiola’s matchday contingents against Salford City in the FA Cup, and Brentford and Ipswich Town in the Premier League.