Manchester City are in conversation with Galatasaray over a potential deal for defender Manuel Akanji, with the Premier League giants open to selling the 30-year-old.
Having already spent significant sums on the likes of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki over the summer—both of whom starred on their Premier League debuts—the Cityzens are now in the process of refining their squad before the transfer window slams shut.
Pep Guardiola has demanded player sales after complaints over the size of his squad, with the Spaniard claiming “it’s not healthy” to have as many players as City currently do following Saturday’s Premier League opener with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Jack Grealish and James McAtee are among recent departures and more peripheral figures are expected to leave, with Fabrizio Romano among those revealing that Manuel Akanji could be one of those to exit before September’s deadline amid interest from Galatasaray.
The Turkish giants have “approached” City and the player’s agent over a switch, with Akanji yet to make his final decision on a potential transfer. Romano has also revealed that City are refusing to rule out a move.
The eight-time Premier League champions currently have six central defensive options, with Akanji joined by Rúben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Aké, Joško Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov in the City squad. Guardiola is likely to allow at least one to move on this summer to reduce the size of his roster.
Gala have already launched an £8.6 million ($11.7 million) bid for City goalkeeper Ederson, who has been a target for them all summer. The two clubs are currently in dialogue over a transfer, with City keen to replace their long-term Brazilian stopper with Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City in ‘Negotiations’ With Galatasaray Over Defender.
