Manuel Akanji joined Inter Milan on a season-long loan from Manchester City on September 2, 2025, with the clubs agreeing to a €2 million loan fee and a €15 million purchase option attached to specific performance conditions. By May 2026, those conditions were met, and the transfer was made permanent for approximately £13 million.
From Manchester’s bench to Milan’s backbone
Akanji’s departure from Manchester City was driven by a familiar problem in modern football: a world-class squad with too many world-class players. Playing time had dried up, and the defender needed minutes that Pep Guardiola’s roster simply couldn’t guarantee.
Inter, under newly appointed head coach Cristian Chivu, offered exactly what Akanji needed. Chivu took charge in June 2025 with a clear mandate to build a defensively resolute side.
Akanji made 33 Serie A appearances during the 2025-26 season and chipped in with 2 goals. For a center-back who had been watching from the sidelines in Manchester, that kind of consistency is the definition of a fresh start.
