Kyle Walker opens up on 'uncomfortable' Pep Guardiola exit talks as defender discusses Man City departure

Earlier this month, Guardiola confirmed that Walker had informed him of his desire to leave the club and explore opportunities abroad.

Walker had seen some of his performances come under scrutiny in what proved to be a difficult first half of the season for the Citizens.

The 34-year-old was ultimately allowed to move on loan to Milan, who have the option to make the move permanent for €5m (£4.2m) in the summer.

As a result, it seems likely that Walker has played his final game for Man City after making a total of 319 competitive appearances and winning multiple honours for the club, including six Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.

Walker opens up on Guardiola exit talks

Having swapped the Premier League for Serie A, Walker has admitted he held a difficult conversation with Guardiola about his desire to seek a fresh challenge.

Speaking in a press conference on Monday, 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."

Walker ready for new challenge

The right-back admitted a "gut feeling" caused him to jump at the opportunity to play for the five-time European champions.

"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," Walker added.

"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 has become the fourth Englishman in Milan's squad, having linked up with Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham.

The Man City loanee is not eligible to feature in Wednesday's Champions League away meeting with Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

As a result, Walker could make his Milan debut in Sunday's highly-anticipated derby clash against city rivals Inter Milan.

Written by

Ben Sully