Manuel Akanji reveals what Pep Guardiola told him behind closed doors, which led to Man City exit
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Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Thu 4 September 2025 16:00, UK
Manuel Akanji’s conversation with Pep Guardiola this summer appears to be the reason for the defender’s move to Inter Milan.
Crystal Palace worked on a late deal for Akanji, Mick Brown told Football Insider, as Marc Guehi continued to edge closer to his move to Liverpool before the deal fell through at the 11th hour.
Instead of remaining in the Premier League, Akanji joined Serie A giants Inter Milan on a season-long loan, with the deal worth £1.7million, and the Italian side covering the player’s wages.
Ederson joined Fenerbahce, while Ilkay Gundogan left for Galatasaray, both joining him out the exit doors, but due to the Turkish transfer window staying open later than the Premier League’s, their deals went through on Tuesday, 2 September.
With several exciting arrivals also being announced at the Etihad Stadium, supporters are patiently waiting to see these stars in action, but that might be exactly why Akanji decided to leave this summer.
Akanji has revealed that joining Inter Milan was a very easy decision for him, given the quality of the team, the history of the club, and their ambitions for the 2025/26 campaign.
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Now, speaking in a press conference, the Switzerland international said: “There were six central defenders in the squad, he [Guardiola] openly told us it would not be easy for anyone to have regular playing time.
“And that was the case.
It was not an ideal situation, but I was well aware of the competition for places.”
Credit: Imago
The 30-year-old centre-back, who joined City for £15 million in 2022, was clearly not ready for the challenge, so instead, he looked to find a temporary club for the season ahead.
The obvious centre-back partnership is Ruben Dias and John Stones.
However, the latter has struggled for fitness in recent seasons, so Guardiola might have concerns over him being a constant starter.
Against Brighton, Dias was dropped and replaced by Abdukodir Khusanov, who experienced a brilliant game in defence, but it was not enough to keep City from losing out on all three points.
As well as those options, Nathan Ake appears to be back and stronger than ever after a lengthy spell on the sidelines last season, which is a huge boost for the Citizens moving forward.
Akanji has been a huge figure in City’s recent history, helping the club to two Premier Leagues and the Champions League title, but it is now time to move forward.