Manchester City Loanee Akanji to Join Inter Permanently

Manchester City Loanee Akanji to Join Inter Permanently

Manuel Akanji would have likely stayed at Inter regardless, but winning the title and the fact that he appeared in half of the matches automatically activated a €15M transfer from Manchester City, since he had joined on an initial loan, Sky reports.

The German defender has been a day-one starter and has collected 33 appearances, rarely ever resting, even though Christian Chivu rotated quite a bit in other positions. He eventually transitioned from the right-hand side to the center of the defense, making room for Yann Aurel Bisseck and supplanting Francesco Acerbi and Stefan De Vrij as the linchpin of the rearguard. The more athletic line allowed the Nerazzurri to be more aggressive with their pressure and offside trap, which paid big dividends.

Akanji will formally ink a contract until 2028 with Inter upon finalizing the transfer. His salary amounts to slightly less than €4M per year. He recently admitted that Milan had pursued him in the past. However, he preferred the other side of San Siro to play in the UEFA Champions League.

The veteran had starred for Basel and Borussia Dortmund before transferring to Manchester City in 2022. The were already on his trail at the time, wishing for a future Bosman addition, but the Sky Blues didn’t wait for that and acquired him for €20M. He has 79 caps and 4 goals with Switzerland under his belt.