JUST last year, Kyle Walker’s longtime wife, Annie Kilner, was preparing for war and telling friends she was considering divorce.
But after a cozy Christmas with the Man City star and their children – and amid growing speculation he is being courted for a multi-million dollar move to play in Saudi Arabia – that could all change again.
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Kyle Walker’s long-suffering wife Annie Kilner shut down divorce talks and kept her ring finger covered during a night out in December Credit: BackGrid
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The City and England defender has returned to his matrimonial homeCredit: Getty
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Kyle is being courted for a multi-million dollar move to play in Saudi Arabia, on top of attending a trial with Lauryn last JulyCredit: Darren Fletcher
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Kyle posed with Annie and their four children in matching pajamas over ChristmasCredit: Instagram
Those close to Annie, 33, tell The Sun that she has stopped talk of a split and instead brought the City and England defender back into the matrimonial home.
An insider said: “Just a few months ago, Annie served Kyle with divorce papers, but she’s changing her mind.
“He is a top target for clubs in Saudi Arabia and if he decides to sign, it will change his life – and not just because of the huge amount of money he will be making.”
Any move to the Arab country is still up in the air, but Kyle, 34, is a top target for big clubs including Al Nassr, captained by Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
The deals mooted by the clubs in the oil-rich country are said to be worth more than £20m, with Kyle easily expected to pocket £400,000 a week if he decides to try his luck abroad.
And friends close to Annie say the money will tell.
They added: “Annie is no fool. Last year she sought legal advice on finances and knows that a job in Saudi Arabia is worth a lot.
“Annie says it’s not about the money, it’s about keeping their family together, but his earning potential is something she must have thought about.
“She is smart and has been thinking of a plan for a long time.
Posing in matching Christmas pajamas
“Annie always puts the children first, but she has to think of herself too – and financially she wants to know she’ll be safe no matter what happens between them.
Kyle Walker will spend Christmas again with estranged wife Annie Kilner after they agreed to put aside their divorce turmoil for the sake of their children
“Kyle assured her that no matter what happened, she would have financial support.”
The couple were united for Christmas as they posed in matching pajamas with their four children, Roman, 13, Riaan, eight, six-year-old Reign and baby Rezon.
It was the perfect scene compared to last December when their lives were turned upside down by the news that Kyle secretly fathered a daughter with reality star Lauryn Goodman.
Annie, who started dating Kyle when she was 16, was pregnant with their fourth child at the time.
He already shares four-year-old son Kairo with Lauryn following his relationship with her during his brief split from Annie.
Of the cozy family reunion at Christmas, colleague Wag said: “Kyle seems happy to be back home with his family and they are looking to the future.
She is smart and has been planning for a long time
Friends
“I’m not sure if anything is set in stone in their relationship, but they’re more together than it seemed — as if spending time together over Christmas helped them appreciate what they have.
“Whatever their future holds, they will do it for their boys who are everything to them.”
Kyle made a crawling apology to a devastated Annie in The Sun last January.
At the time, he said he was desperate to save the marriage, but admitted he wouldn’t blame Annie if she decided to divorce him.
Last month, in a sign that their relationship was back on track, Kyle smiled like a cat that’s been fed cream as he showed off his wedding ring during a darts night out.
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Cairo and Kinara watch Kyle during Euro 2024 Credit: Instagram @lauryngoodman91
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Lauryn Goodman is taking Kyle to court to seek a financial settlement for their children Credit: Darren Fletcher
He was in good spirits at Alexandra Palace in London as he watched the World Cup, shortly after returning home for the festive season.
Annie has also returned her ring – but has tried to discreetly cover her hand in public in recent weeks to avoid speculation.
Our insider added: “Spending time with Kyle over Christmas made Annie rethink everything.
“She allowed him to move back into the family home and it was amazing for her to see Kyle and how great he was with their children.
“Despite what happened between them, Kyle is a brilliant father.
“She knows that now is not the right time to take the legal route of separation and has taken the advice that timing is key when it comes to divorce.
Spending time with Kyle at Christmas made Annie rethink everything
Informed
“They have to think about the children – they’re still young – and that was a major factor in Annie’s thinking.
“She’s in no rush and biding her time, especially with all the talk about Saudi Arabia and possibly moving there.”
The couple have only been married since November 2021, but met in his hometown of Sheffield when they were teenagers.
Kyle was first accused of cheating in 2016 when he was caught texting Playboy model Carla Howe while in France with England’s European Championship team.
Then in 2019 Ex on the Beach star Laura Brown texted Annie to admit that she and Kyle had been enjoying a string of flings, including one trip in his £200,000 Bentley 4×4.
Annie immediately kicked Kyle, who moved into an apartment, where he ended up hosting a sex party with a friend and two call girls during the Covid quarantine.
While he was single, he began a relationship with Lauryn, who soon became pregnant and gave birth in 2020.
Annie took him back and they married in an intimate ceremony at Mottram Hall in Cheshire 18 months later.
But The Sun recently revealed that Annie’s pals claimed she was considering her options as far back as 2019, with her insisting: “Marrying Kyle would give me security if she ever does it again.”
‘Some said she should cut her losses and run’
She reportedly asked at least four footballers’ wives for advice before marrying the love rat in case history repeats itself.
One said: “Some said at the time that she should leave him – just cut her losses and run. But others warned that marrying him would be the only way she could really secure herself financially.”
In messages seen by The Sun from five years ago, before the couple tied the knot, Annie glumly admitted: “It’s the same old s**t — he’s been doing it for ten years,” before asking friends for their opinion about how she financially protected herself in the future.
Seeming to predict that he would betray her again, Annie then wrote to a friend: “He will have a lonely end.”
Turns out Annie was right about him repeating his actions, as he briefly rekindled things with Lauryn weeks after Cairo was born and lived a lie for over a year after finding out she was expecting his second child.
She is in no rush and bides her time, especially with all the talk about Saudi Arabia and a possible move there
Informed
Lauryn later took Kyle to court to seek a financial settlement for their children.
After Lauryn’s bombshell confession to Annie about daughter Kinara, he told The Sun in an emotional interview that he had lied to both women
He added: “It was a double-edged sword between a clear conscience and losing my family.
“I hurt someone who I truly believe is my soul mate. Annie knows I’m sorry. I’m sorry because as a family this was not meant to happen. They are all I have.”
A move to the Middle East for the England ace would follow a difficult season at City.
He has 19 months left on his contract at the Etihad but admitted he would “never say never” when rumors swirled last year. Now, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Professional League are keen to secure his signature.
Should Kyle decide, he would follow in the footsteps of England team-mate Ivan Toney, who penned a £20million-a-year deal with Al-Ahli last summer after moving from Brentford.
But whether he gets to enjoy that money with or without Annie is still very important.
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Ace and Annie posed in this throwback photo Credit: Instagram
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