AC Milan are reportedly set to opt against exercising their option to buy loanee Kyle Walker from Manchester City this summer.
The 34-year-old arrived on loan from the Premier League giants in January, and has since gone on to make 15 appearances, with injuries limiting his impact after a positive start.
READ MORE: Injury update provided on influential Milan ace ahead of Coppa Italia final
With Alex Jimenez getting the nod in his absence and subsequently keeping his place in the side since Walker recovered from his setback, Emerson Royal is also part of the current squad to provide competition and depth in that right-back, or right wing-back, role.
Time will tell if the Brazilian is another player potentially set to be moved on this summer, but according to Daniele Longo, Milan won’t make Walker’s move a permanent one, as they are not expected to exercise their €5m option-to-buy included in the loan agreement.
In turn, it’s hoped that Walker can help us end his stint on a positive note, starting with the Coppa Italia final against Bologna on Wednesday night.
Further, Milan have a very slim chance of sneaking into the top four in Serie A to secure Champions League qualification still, and so there are three crunch games ahead which will shape our season, which to date, has been a disappointing and underwhelming one.
It promises to be a busy and important summer for the club with decisions needed from top to bottom moving forward, while our inability to qualify for the Champions League is likely to have a negative impact on our transfer strategy.
That could be one of the factors influencing the touted Walker decision given his fee and wages, but what must happen sooner rather than later is Milan appointing a sporting director to oversee the next, fresh step of constructing a squad capable of challenging for major honours.
Walker’s experience and quality made him a welcome addition to the Milan squad after a poor first half of the campaign, but it doesn’t appear as though his time with us will extend beyond this season.
