Kyle Walker transfer: Man City captain will only leave club in January window for another big European side

Kyle Walker will only leave Manchester City this month if he can secure a deal with an elite club that will further his England prospects.

Walker has 18 months left on his current City contract and turns 35 in May but is confident he still has two or three more years at the top level ahead of him.

As such, a move to a top European club is currently preferable to any options in Saudi Arabia. There have been a number of approaches from clubs in the Saudi Pro League but none have so far appealed to Walker.

He currently has 93 international caps and is desperate to become only the second Black player after Ashley Cole to win 100 caps for England.

Walker's relationship with Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola is said to be as close and amicable as ever, with both sides keen to ensure his legacy is protected after a glittering eight years at the Etihad.

Walker has made nine Premier League starts for City this season, with his last start coming against Manchester United on December 15.

He featured against Aston Villa, Leicester and West Ham, but was left out of the squad for the FA Cup win over Salford and Premier League tie at Brentford.

City do not want him to leave but it is thought that, while they are prepared to discuss a contract extension with him, they cannot guarantee he remains first-choice right-back or that the length of a deal would suit him at this stage of his career.

City therefore appreciate and support Walker's desire to maximise the playing time he has left in his career. What is best for his family in terms of location is also a key factor in his decision over his future.

AC Milan are still very keen to sign Walker but they are also interested in Marcus Rashford and can only take one of them in this window. Serie A rules dictate that only two non-EU players can be signed by a club each season, including one more from the UK or Albania.

In last summer's transfer window they bought Strahinja Pavlovic [Serbia] from Red Bull Salzburg and Emerson Royal [Brazil] from Tottenham.

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