Manuel Akanji has explained why he made the loan switch from Inter Milan to Manchester City and he has some harsh words for his parent club.
Manchester City saw a number of players depart the club last summer and among those was Manuel Akanji, who joined Inter Milan on a season-long loan.
The defender made 26 Premier League appearances during the 2024/25 campaign. However, he picked up an adductor injury towards the end of the season, which saw him miss two months of action.
It looked as though Akanji could remain at Man City beyond the summer, but he made a last minute switch to Serie A at the end of the summer transfer window.
Manuel Akanji explains his move away from Manchester City
Akanji has opened up on what led to him stepping away from Man City and his decision was about more than just football.
According to the defender, his family played an important role in the move and the deal only went through after it had been discussed.
He told SRF: “I have by now [settled in Italy]. It was stressful at first because everything happened at the last minute. My wife and children are central. Luckily, we had discussed everything thoroughly beforehand.
On whether his family has taken time to adjust, he continued: “A little. But it was also my most difficult transfer so far. When we went to Manchester, we only had our eldest son. Now we have three children.
“None of this would be possible without my wife. And her daily life is more stressful than mine, especially mentally.”
Akanji aims dig at Man City
Ultimately, the reason Akanji departed City was a result of the club deciding he was no longer needed, according to the player himself.
He added: “Manchester City suddenly had six fit centre-backs in the summer, but only two were available to play. When I then wasn’t playing at the start of the season, I started looking at my options with my agent.
“Clubs often demand loyalty from their players, but they don’t always offer it themselves. Therefore, as a player, you sometimes have to make selfish decisions that aren’t always understood from the outside.”
When asked if still officially being a Manchester City player creates a loyalty problem, the 30-year-old replied: “No [loyalty problem], but it raises a lot of questions. What will happen in the summer? Will I end up at another club? But right now, my full focus is on Inter.”
