- Kyle Walker completed a loan switch to AC Milan until the end of the season
- The England star will wear the No 32 – the same worn by David Beckham in Milan
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why the Arsenal players will be laughing at Mikel Arteta behind his back
Kyle Walker says he is ‘very happy’ to have moved to Italian giants AC Milan – and will take the No 32 shirt.
Father-of-four Walker, 34, left Manchester on a private jet on Thursday and arrived in the Italian fashion capital two hours later to seal the £4.2 million loan deal.
MailOnline can also reveal that he has also opted to play in the No 32 – the same one worn David Beckham when he played in Italy.
Walker spoke to fans as he returned to his five-star hotel in Milan city – just a few minutes walk from the famous San Siro stadium – after a day of medical tests and paperwork.
Posing for pictures a smiling Walker was asked if he was happy and replied: ’Very happy, very happy’ before then walking into the lobby.
Earlier he had been spotted at a swanky Milan restaurant with his new team’s sporting director Geoffrey Moncada.
Manchester City wantaway Kyle Walker has completed a loan move to Italian giants AC Milan, who have an option to make the transfer permanent and handed him the No 32 jersey
He will join an growing contingent of English players at the seven-time European Cup winners
His estranged wife served him with divorce papers in October (pictured with three of their children Roman, 12, Riaan, eight, and Reign, six, in December 2023)
Walker’s wife Annie and their four children were not with him but they are expected to join him in Italy as they make an attempt at a ‘clean break’.
A source said: ’This is a good opportunity to put things behind them and make a go of it as a family unit. It will be a challenge in a new country, but they are willing to give it a go.’
Walker’s private life was highlighted in a phone in hosted by top Italian daily Gazzetta Dello Sport with one panellist describing it as ‘complicated’.
Others were also less than complimentary towards the former Premier League player saying he was ‘old and prone to making mistakes’.
Later on Friday he is expected to meet his new team-mates at a training session but he didn’t attend a party held by defender Theo Hernandez on Thursday.
Walker is not expected to make his debut until next month due to paperwork and the need for a work permit following Brexit.
After Britain left the EU Italy brought in new rules meaning that a work permit must be obtained if any non-EU national wants to remain in Italy for more than 90 days.
He is expected to return to the UK later on Friday to complete the red tape although he could stay on and watch his team’s match against Parma at lunchtime on Sunday.
He is also ineligible for next week’s Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb meaning his debut is likely to be February 2 in the derby against city rivals Inter.
The ex Man City player follows in the footsteps of other English players at AC Milan including Jimmy Greaves, Ray Wilkins, Mark Hateley, Luther Blissett, David Beckham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori.
