“Clubs don’t always offer loyalty” – Manuel Akanji raises eyebrows with Manchester City exit comments | OneFootball

Manuel Akanji has offered an honest assessment about his future at Manchester City following his loan move to Inter Milan.

Manchester City sanctioned Manuel Akanji’s loan move to Inter Milan late in the summer transfer window – a move that initially came as a surprise because the Swiss star had been a key part of Pep Guardiola’s defence in preceding years.

The 30-year-old has since become a regular at San Siro, starting 28 games under Cristian Chivu and re-establishing himself as a first-choice centre-back in the Italian top-flight. Akanji arrived in Manchester from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and during his tenure at the Etihad Stadium, he was praised for seamlessly operating across the backline.

However, with the gradual increase in City’s depth in central defence, there was a lot of competition for spots. At the start of the 2025-26 season, Akanji found himself out of the starting XI, which led to talks about his role. Guardiola has always stressed positional discipline and smooth ball progression while playing from the back.

Akanji’s ability to step into midfield and defend high spaces suited that model but selection has often been influenced by availability, balance and specific match demands. With six senior centre-backs fit during pre-season yet limited starting spots, the Switzerland international quickly found himself below the pecking order.

On the other hand, Inter Milan have provided stability. Chivu has put Akanji in a settled structure, which has helped him find his rhythm by giving him regular minutes. The result has been stability for both the player and the club. Akanji has adjusted to the tactical differences in Serie A, which he called a difficult transition.

In a recent interview with Swiss outlet SRF, Akanji outlined his vision behind his decision to leave England. “I have by now,” he said on whether he had settled in Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness.

“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.”

Akanji acknowledged that this move was different from his previous transfer to England. “A little. But it was also my most difficult transfer so far,” the centre-half added. “When we went to Manchester, we only had our eldest son.

“Now we have three children. Definitely. None of this would be possible without my wife. And her daily life is more stressful than mine, especially mentally.”

The defender was honest when talking about his departure from the Etihad Stadium. “Manchester City suddenly had six fit centre-backs in the summer but only two were available to play,” he said. “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.”

For now, Akanji remains under contract at City until 2027, though questions remain regarding what happens next. Asked whether representing Inter while tied to his parent club creates a loyalty issue, he said: “No, 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.”

Akanji’s comments highlight the principles of managing elite squads across top football clubs in Europe. Competition for spots remains unrelenting and even established international stars sometimes remain unaware of their roles due to the elite squad depth top teams nowadays possess.

For Akanji, a permanent exit from Manchester City now seems likely, especially if it does not become clear what his role will be in Guardiola’s plans before the upcoming summer transfer window opens.