For all the attention on Erling Haaland, a strange quirk of Manchester City’s ominous start to the Premier League season is that he may not even be their best signing from Borussia Dortmund this summer. After all, taking advantage of a generational talent’s release clause was always a no-brainer, even with competition from practically every elite club in Europe. There was much less fanfare and far fewer suitors for Manuel Akanji.
And yet Akanji’s start to life has suggested that his €17m deadline day arrival could ultimately be considered one of the steals of the season, despite it being a deal that initially felt unnecessary. The 27-year-old became the fifth senior recognised centre-half in Pep Guardiola’s squad at a point when, if anything, reinforcements were needed at full-back. City are certainly short in that department now following Kyle Walker’s groin injury.
Yet after a string of highly impressive displays in his natural position, Akanji showcased another string to his bow in the 4-0 win over Southampton: versatility. Guardiola named the back four that many expected at the Etihad, only in a different order. His preference for having both a left and right-footer at the centre of his defence meant Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias lined up on those respective sides.
But, compared to the previous weekend’s Manchester derby win, Joao Cancelo remained on the left while Akanji replaced Walker on the right. It was not his first time at full-back. “I think at every club there have been some games at right-back,” he later revealed. It was still one of only a handful of games that he has played in the role, either at Basel, Dortmund or for Switzerland, and yet he slotted in effortlessly.
Granted, if he is to remain at right-back for the foreseeable future, there will be stiffer tests than a Southampton side spiralling the drain, especially at Anfield next Sunday. Yet defenders in a Guardiola defence do not simply defend. Those long, controlled spells of possession start somewhere and Walker’s enforced absence has deprived City of a player who, over the course of the last five years, has learned the specific demands his manager requires.
And yet it took only one session at the City Football Academy last week for Guardiola to believe he had found another in Akanji. “There are players you have to explain [things to] 10 times, a player has to train 10 times there to do what you are thinking, what you want him to do. And this guy – we did just one training session, just to tell him – and he got it,” the Catalan revealed.
“Our build-up today should have been with three at the back and that’s why normally I play Kyle or John [Stones]. We thought [Akanji] could do it. It was a little bit scary as he hadn’t proved he could do it before.” Just as much was asked of Akanji in possession as out of it. “He had to go up the pitch, pressing, come back defending the crosses at the far post,” Guardiola added. “He didn’t miss once. Absolutely perfect.”
The ease with which Akanji has adapted to not only the Premier League but Guardiola’s system begs the question of how City had a relatively free run at his signature. His availability was no secret. A target for Liverpool once upon a time, he was eager to leave Dortmund at the end of last season in search of a new challenge, turning down opportunities to extend his contract and being frozen out by Edin Terzic as a result.
With few takers, there was the prospect of a wasted season on the sidelines, and even City’s interest came relatively late. Akanji learned of the champions’ interest only a few days before the close of the window and from an unlikely source. “Erling texted me, then my agents talked with the club. Erling said that they had asked him about me. I think they had already made their plans but just wanted some more information so asked Erling. I don’t know what he said – hopefully just good words!”
Perhaps Haaland mentioned his old team-mate’s party piece. Akanji has a knack for solving mathematical problems in a matter of seconds and knows complex calculations by heart, having nurtured an interest in numbers as a schoolboy. It speaks to a mental sharpness that Guardiola can see reflected in his play. “It proves again, intelligent people always pay off,” his manager said.
“When you are intelligent, I didn’t know him but you realise immediately, I only had to tell him once and he knows it. The movement defensively at set pieces, he did it perfectly. It’s a gift for a manager. A gift.”
