Man City to let Walker leave for free as Ibrahimovic works on Milan deal | OneFootball

Manchester City will reportedly let Kyle Walker leave on a free transfer in January if he does not agree to stay put at the Etihad, which comes as a bonus for Milan, whose directors are working on a deal for the 34-year-old England international according to the latest reports.

Pep Guardiola confirmed earlier in the week that Walker has asked to leave the club in the January transfer window to finish off his career with an experience abroad.

Though there have been suggestions that he could be heading for the Saudi Pro League, it is Milan who have come out as the frontrunners to land the right-back’s signature this month.

Reports in the UK claim that Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic is working personally behind the scenes in order to get a deal done.

Kyle Walker of England controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on November 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Reports Man City will allow Milan target Kyle Walker to leave for free

Now, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that if Walker does not agree to stay on with Manchester City, he will be allowed to leave for free as a gesture of goodwill after seven and a half years of service, six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and a Champions League.

That means that if a deal with Milan were to go through, the Rossoneri would only need to cover his wages and bonuses.

That is still not a particularly cheap operation, as Walker reportedly earns around 9m per season, not including bonuses, and is reportedly seeking a two-and-a-half year contract.

Walker is not the only England international Milan have been linked with this transfer window. There are also reports that the Rossoneri are working on a deal with Manchester United for Marcus Rashford.

Marcus Rashford of Manchester United during warm-up before the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur, in Manchester, Britain, 29 September 2024. EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Due to Serie A rules, however, clubs are currently only allowed to register one new player from the UK per transfer window, which means that Milan will not be able to sign both Walker and Rashford.

Click here for more details on why Milan can not sign both Rashford and Walker in January.