What Pep Guardiola told Man City players ahead of dramatic transfer window exits

Manuel Akanji left Manchester City to join Inter Milan on deadline day and he has been speaking about the move and his departure from the Etihad.

Manuel Akanji joined Inter on deadline day

Manuel Akanji has revealed that Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City squad at the start of the summer that players would be left out of games and that competition would be particularly fierce at centre-back.

The Blues began the summer with six central defenders and with Guardiola keen to trim his squad, departures were always likely. Akanji didn't play a minute in the first three Premier League games of the season and left to join Inter Milan on loan on deadline day.

That deal includes an obligation to buy for €15million if Akanji plays in 50% of Inter's games and they win the Serie A title this season. The 30-year-old centre-back doesn't expect to return to the Etihad.

With competition from Ruben Dias, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake, he knew game time would be hard to come by, but was willing to fight for his place until Inter made their move.

“We had six centre-backs and only two could play, plus it’s a position you rarely rotate. Pep Guardiola told us openly and honestly from the start that it wouldn’t be easy and that a few players would be out of the squad,” said Akanji.

“It wasn’t easy for me in the end because I always want to be on the pitch. But even if I had stayed at City, I would have accepted the challenge and fought for my place.”

In the final days of the window, Akanji was linked with several clubs, with Tottenham interested in a deal, as were Galatasaray and AC Milan. Inter made their move late on, and the Swiss international revealed it nearly fell through in the final hours of the window.

“As always, I had packed for the national team and was coming to Switzerland when I received a call from my agent on Monday morning saying something might still happen,” Akanji explained.

“The whole thing was on the verge of collapse, however, because the two clubs still had to reach an agreement, as did I with Inter. I also wanted to sort everything out with Man City. I’m obviously overjoyed that everything worked out.

“Of course, the days leading up to it weren’t always easy, but I trusted my instincts, even though the move, like three years ago, only happened at the last minute.”

The sudden nature of the move meant Akanji, who was on the bench for City at Brighton the day before his exit, had no chance to say goodbye to his teammates for the previous three years, which he is keen to rectify.

“It’s difficult to realise the whole thing," he said. "First, we were still part of our old club, and now we’re moving, and there are still a few things to sort out. My family and I have felt very comfortable in Manchester, but I don’t regret anything; I’m looking forward to the new challenge.

“I can hardly wait to meet my new teammates. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to say goodbye to City yet, but I definitely want to do that with a team meal, which isn’t so easy due to the schedule. But it’s important to me that I can say goodbye and start again.”

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