Italian giants AC Milan have supposedly decided that they do not want to pay more than a paltry €2m (£1.7m) to sign Kyle Walker on a permanent basis this summer.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United man jumped ship for San Siro in January following a noticeable decline at Man City, whose bid to offload him for good recently hit a snag.
Walker is currently on the mend from an elbow fracture, which could potentially rule the 34-year-old out for the remainder of the campaign and make Milan think twice about signing him permanently.
The Rossoneri did agree to an option to buy when they brought Walker to Milan over the winter, but even that clause was only worth a meagre €5m (£4.2m).
Now, journalist Daniele Longo - via City_Xtra - claims that Milan do not even want to pay that nominal amount and instead only wish to fork out between €1m (£860,000) and €2m (£1.7m).
Milan 'want to pay £1.7m max' for Walker
AC Milan want to sign Kyle Walker from #ManCity for around €1M to €2M, reports @86_longo. 😳
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) April 18, 2025
The Rossoneri will seemingly try to reduce City's demands for Walker on the back of the defender's nasty injury, as well as the fact that he will be turning 35 in just a few weeks' time.
Whether the Premier League champions would be prepared to accept such a low fee - potentially a mere six figures - remains to be seen, but there are not exactly many alternatives for his parent club.
City only have Walker under contract until the summer of 2026, and the Englishman is not expected to reignite his career in Manchester for just one more season, especially after his dismal displays in the first half of the current campaign.
A return to boyhood club Sheffield United has also been mooted for Walker, but the Blades would probably prefer to sign the defender on a free transfer when his contract runs out in 2026.
Walker is set to leave Man City with a stellar record of 17 major trophies - including the Champions League and six Premier League titles - in addition to six goals and 23 assists from 319 appearances in all tournaments.
What options do City have to replace Walker?
© Imago
The youthful Rico Lewis and makeshift right-back Matheus Nunes are currently holding the fort for Man City in Walker's absence, but Pep Guardiola will no doubt target a long-term successor to the six-time Premier League winner should he depart as expected.
One such target was rumoured to have been Crystal Palace's Daniel Munoz, but City's plans to prise the Colombian away from Selhurst Park have been scuppered by the news that he has signed a new contract with the Eagles.
Instead, the Citizens could try again for Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso - whose agent has confirmed was the subject of interest from the English giants in January - or Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong, although there are concerns about how the latter would fit into a four-man defensive system.
A bit closer to home, Newcastle United's Tino Livramento is understood to be on City's radar, but Guardiola's men may be fighting a losing battle trying to get the Magpies to sell up.
Ben Knapton
