Kyle Walker will return to Manchester City after AC Milan opted against activating a purchase clause in his loan deal.

Walker joined Milan on a half-season loan in January after failing out of favour at the Etihad Stadium, with the deal containing an option to buy him for a reported €5m.

The 35-year-old made 11 Serie A appearances for the Rossoneri, seven of them starts, though he only contributed to one clean sheet as they endured a poor campaign.

Milan missed out on European qualification for the first time since 2019-20, having finished a disappointing eighth in the Italian top flight.

That finish led them to sack Sergio Conceicao after just half a season in charge, and Massimiliano Allegri has since returned for his second stint at San Siro.

The club confirmed on Saturday that Walker would return to his parent club, with Joao Felix also returning to Chelsea following a loan stint that saw him score two goals in 15 Serie A games.

 

 

 

 

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Walker is not expected to be reintegrated into Pep Guardiola's plans, with Everton, Fulham and a series of Saudi Pro League clubs tipped to move for the veteran defender.

Joao Felix, meanwhile, has been linked with a return to Benfica, where he rose through the ranks before joining Atletico Madrid in a €126m deal in 2019.

Joao Felix scored 20 goals across all competitions in a breakout 2018-19 campaign with the Lisbon club, but he has since failed to net more than 10 times in a single season.