Wayne Rooney criticises 'strange' Man City transfer decision after Real Madrid defeat

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In the Champions League, the top teams in Europe compete.

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Erling Haaland got City's score underway before Kylian Mbappe equalised for Madrid. Haaland slotted one home from the penalty spot to put City back in front, but Madrid were levelled by Brahim Diaz in the 86th minute. Jude Bellingham then scored Madrid's winner in the second minute of injury time.

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Walker is expected to begin in the first match of AC Milan's Champions League playoff tie against Feyenoord on Wednesday evening following his transfer to the club from Manchester City during the January transfer window.

Rooney reckons City should've stopped Walker from leaving and thinks Guardiola shouldn't have let the English international go.

‘I reckon you can see the importance of Kyle Walker over the last seven or eight years for Manchester City,’ Rooney told Amazon Prime.

‘It's a real shock to see Kyle Walker heading to AC Milan on loan.’

‘Akanji’s clearly not a right-back, Rico Lewis is a young player who can play in different positions, at this stage of the season where Manchester City are struggling, Kyle Walker is the captain of the football club, to let him go on loan, in my opinion, is a bit strange.’

Asked if City should have kept Walker against his will, Rooney replied: 'Yeah... the player's under contract and as the captain... there comes a time when players leave the footy club.

‘I reckon at this stage and Man City going through this rough patch they’re going through and Kyle Walker being the skipper of the club and the importance of him over the last few years, I think an agreement to say, ‘let’s wait till the summer, give us a hand’, maybe the league’s out of reach for them now but they’ve still got the Champions League, help 'em get through the season.’

‘I had it with Mourinho at Manchester United when I wasn’t getting a run under Jose Mourinho. I had the same conversation in January and he said to me, “stay right through to the end of the season, I need you to help us out in the Europa League”.

‘It was tough for me to swallow, but I showed respect for that decision and we shook hands and I left at the end of the season. I reckon that would've been the more sensible move for Kyle.’

Meanwhile, former City defender, Gael Clichy, thinks Walker's departure is another sign of how 'ruthless' the club is when it comes to letting players go.

‘City's my point of view is that, on and off the pitch, they've been a ruthless club,’ Clichy said.

G'day, if you don't train up to scratch, you don't get a run, if you don't perform well, you don't get to play, which is pretty harsh.

‘The club, in a way, since Pep arrived, did the same. They were able to tell Joe Hart, a legend of the club, to move on. Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Kun Aguero… and still bringing young players through.’

‘What happened with Kyle Walker a few months back, he was nearly off to Bayern Munich. The club chose to keep him, and now you can see why – he's your captain, and he brings something no other defender does. Of course, there are times when it's right to sell a player, but in this case, tonight and the few games we've seen overall, why would you let him go?’

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