2 days ago
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Manchester City transfer news as Manuel Akanji completes move to Inter Milan
Manu Akanji's move from Manchester City to Inter Milan has been confirmed and the defender could make the switch permanent next summer.
The Switzerland international has completed a deadline day loan move to the Serie A giants having fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad.
The deal includes an option for the move to be made permanent next summer, with that option becoming an obligation to buy for €15million (£13million) if Inter win Serie A and Akanji plays in 50% of their league fixtures.
A number of clubs enquired about Akanji in recent weeks including Galatasaray, Tottenham and AC Milan. Akanji was not desperate to depart, with the Blues prepared to keep him if no suitable offer came in.
Inter have made contact on deadline day, and the offer of Champions League football alongside Serie A in Milan has appealed to Akanji. If a deal can be completed, it will be a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.
Akanji has been an important part of Pep Guardiola's squad in the three seasons that he has been in Manchester since signing from Dortmund in 2022, but has found himself out of favour at the beginning of this campaign. He did not make the squad for the home defeat to Spurs and was an unused substitute in the other two matches.
City needed to trim their squad, both because Guardiola would prefer to work with smaller numbers and they had too many non-homegrown players to register in the Champions League.
With Akanji following Ederson out of the door, that takes City back down to the upper limit. However, Gianluigi Donnarumma's arrival to replace Ederson will mean that the Blues have one more than they need once again.
That will not be a problem though. Ilkay Gundogan is expected to join Galatasaray in time to be registered for their Champions League squad, and Stefan Ortega could be left out of the squad given that he will be fourth choice keeper following the arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford, and Marcus Bettinelli.
City will confirm their Champions League squad this week ahead of their first match against Napoli at the Etihad later this month.
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