Manchester City captain Kyle Walker joins Milan on loan

Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has joined AC Milan on loan for the rest of the season in a high-profile move for the England star.

Milan said in a statement they also have an option to buy the right-back, with Sky Italy saying Walker would cost around STG4.2 million pounds ($A8.3 million).

The 34-year-old made 319 appearances for City and last featured in their 4-1 Premier League victory over West Ham United on January 4.

Walker was left out of City’s side for the 8-0 thrashing of Salford City in the FA Cup third round a week later, with manager Pep Guardiola saying the defender had asked to “explore options to play abroad.”

Walker, who moved to Manchester from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, has 18 months left on his City contract after signing a three-year extension in 2023.

He has featured in all six of City’s Premier League triumphs under Guardiola but leaves amid a poor run of results for the English champions, who are in danger of a Champions League exit after Wednesday’s collapse in a 4-2 loss at Paris St Germain.

City are languishing fifth in the Premier League table, 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Walker has 93 caps and was the lone England player named in the Euro 2024 team of the tournament after playing every minute in Germany, where the Three Lions finished runners-up to Spain. He was a member of England’s leadership group during Euros.

Walker’s departure is part of a busy transfer window for City. They signed Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday after bringing in 19-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov.