Revealed: Why AC Milan have opted against signing 'average' Kyle Walker as right-back prepares for Manchester City return

Milan have reportedly taken the decision to allow Walker to return to City this summer, instead of exercising their £4 million ($5m) option to sign the right-back permanently. Daniele Fisichella, an Italian football expert, has explained that "average" performances and the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League have impacted their recruitment plans.

Milan are eighth in Serie A and lost the Coppa Italia final 1-0 to Bologna in midweek. As a result, the prospect of European qualification is all but dead, and Walker, as a result, is likely to head back to Manchester.

Fisichella told talkSPORT: "With Kyle Walker staying at Milan, it was always dependent on Milan securing European football. Now Champions League football is out of the way. After yesterday's result, even Europa League football seems very, very unlikely. Therefore, I can understand why the club has taken this decision."

He added, on Walker's wages: "Those 5 million euros would make him the second biggest earner in Milan's book, just behind Rafael Leo. And as I said before with Milan not playing not playing in Europe next season this is difficult for them to sign a 35 year old.

"The numbers of Walker this season have been average at best zero goals, zero assist for Milan also for Manchester City to be fair. When you look at the stats in Serie A, in terms of tackles, duels won, passes in the final third, he's not among the top 20 defenders in Italy. He's not been bad, I don't remember him making any big mistakes or causing Milan any trouble that they didn't have anyway. When he's started, Milan have only kept three clean sheets.

"So he's been average at best. The perception is that he's a player with a a lot of experience but of course he has lost the physical dominance, lost the pace, that made him excel in the Premier League for a long time."

Milan play Roma and Monza in their final two Serie A fixtures of the season. Their campaign has been a disaster, and Walker is unlikely to be sticking around.