Kyle Walker has lashed out at suggestions that he 'failed to turn up' for Manchester City's game against Brentford on Tuesday night amid his ongoing transfer saga.
Mail Sport exclusively revealed that Pep Guardiola had left Walker at home ahead of the 2-2 draw after the defender asked to leave the club.
Both Milan clubs are vying for his services and Mail Sport understands that any loan agreement could then into a two-year permanent deal at its conclusion.
Walker was also left out of City's 8-0 FA Cup rout of Salford at the weekend, with Guardiola later revealing he had requested to 'explore the option' of playing abroad.
After the Brentford game one account wrote on X: 'Kyle Walker’s behaviour is completely unacceptable. As club captain, failing to show up for matches is a disgrace.
'If you want to leave, do it with respect—this is not the way. Your lack of commitment has been a major factor in this disappointing campaign.'
But Walker, who has been at City for seven and a half years, hit back: 'Failed to turn up?
'I can’t be at Brentford and training at the same time. You may need to check your sources.'
Guardiola has admitted that he has not decided if Walker, 34, will play for the club again. Their next fixture is at Ipswich on Sunday.
After the 8-0 thrashing of Salford, the manager said: 'Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad at the end of his career.'
‘He asked two years ago after the Treble. Bayern Munich wanted him but the offer was not good enough.
‘I asked him, the club asked him, how important is this?
‘We cannot understand the success the club had these years without Kyle. It's impossible. He gave us something we didn’t have and he’s been amazing.
‘But now in his mind he would like to explore to go to another country. For that reason, I prefer to play other players whose mind is here, that’s all.’
There is interest in Walker from Saudi Arabia and having fallen out of the starting line-up with the reigning Premier League champions, he has taken matters into his own hands to try and seal his exit this month.
‘He went to the club,’ Guardiola added.
‘I’m pretty convinced that there is no one person in our job that doesn’t want to be where they are can perform.
‘He’s asking to explore [his options] so it may not happen, we don’t know, you never know. Explore the situation and I respect a lot. I am more than grateful what he has done for many years for us.
‘He arrived eight years ago with us and we start to win, win, win, win and he has been important for the national team and of course with our team.
‘But he has said he wants to explore in his mind and in his heart and wants to explore it. Honestly? I don’t know what is going to happen.’