Kyle Walker appeared to call out his AC Milan teammate Joao Felix with a seven-word comment during their Serie A match against Napoli on Sunday evening.
Walker, 34, joined the Serie A side on loan from Manchester City during the winter transfer window and has since made 10 appearances for the Rossoneri.
However, things have not gone as well as he may have liked with the club currently ninth in the Italian top flight.
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And on Sunday, they were convincingly beaten 2-1 by Antonio Conte’s Napoli having fallen 2-0 behind after just 19 minutes at the Diego Armando Maradona.
A video emerged online appearing to show a heated exchange between Walker and Felix, 25, as the pair walked through the tunnel before entering the pitch.
Fans think Walker appeared to say: “Just pass the ball, no one here is Lionel Messi.”
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The Portuguese, who joined Milan on loan from Chelsea in January, has struggled to find form in Italy having scored just one goal in 11 appearances for the Serie A side.
Despite being under pressure, Milan boss Sergio Conceiçao praised Walker’s experience.
“He's settled in very well,” said Conceicao in March when asked about the impact of the England international.
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“He's got a lot of experience, on and off the pitch. Up until now he's done everything that's been asked of him, he's a fantastic professional and I hope he continues like this until the end.”
Meanwhile, Felix has also come under fire from the Italian media, with the country’s press and Milan fans baffled by Conceiçao’s decision to start him over Rafael Leao in Naples on Sunday.
Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport blasted the Milan head coach’s decision to play Felix, they wrote: “Conceiçao sent Rafa Leao onto the pitch and the game changed completely. There is a moral to this story: in the current Milan, it makes no sense for Rafa Leao to be out. It makes no sense for Leao to be out, especially if the starter is Joao Felix. It is no coincidence that Conceiçao sent the number 10 to warm up after 20 minutes: he had already changed his mind.”
On Tuesday morning, journalist Fabrizio Romano issued an update on Felix's future.
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"AC Milan and João Félix won’t continue together beyond this season after loan deal from Chelsea," Romano wrote on X.
"Feeling from beginning of March again confirmed now, with João expected to return to Chelsea.
"CFC will assess the situation in the summer to find a potential new club."
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Topics: Kyle Walker, Joao Felix, AC Milan, Serie A, Football, Napoli
Luke Davies