Manuel Akanji is reportedly on the cusp of signing for Serie A giants Inter, bringing a merciful end to a dizzying flurry of speculation surrounding the Swiss centre back.
Potential destinations for the exit-bound Manchester City defender were discarded as quickly as a new one emerged. Initially a target for Galatasaray, there was talk of a move within the Premier League to one of Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United before AC Milan were credited with interest in the versatile defender.
As per the latest reports from Sky Italia, Akanji will call San Siro home next season, however, he is set to decked out in blue and black rather than red and black.
Inter are thought to have agreed an initial loan for Akanji with an option to make it permanent next summer for €15 million (£13 million, $17.5 million). Cristian Chivu’s side will also pay an initial €2 million loan fee.
Those proposed sums would represent a minor loss for City, who signed Akanji from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for €20 million. The cerebral right footer made an instant impact at the Etihad—“He showed what a good central defender Manchester City just bought,” Pep Guardiola gushed following his debut—and ended that maiden campaign with a Champions League triumph over Inter to complete a European treble.
Capable of operating in all four positions across the backline, Akanji remained a regular under Guardiola during the 2023–24 campaign before injuries hampered him throughout last season. The 30-year-old missed 19 games across all competitions as City endured the worst campaign of Guardiola’s tenure.
The Catalan coach has overseen an extensive rebuild at City over the past six months, welcoming a fleet of new, younger players to the Etihad. However, those incomings have to be balanced by outgoings to avoid a bloated squad. As Guardiola warned at the end of last season: “I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad]. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Manuel Akanji ‘Agrees’ Man City Exit After Multiple Links.
