AC Milan lodge opening offer for Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji | OneFootball

Manchester City have now received an opening proposal from AC Milan over a potential deal for Manuel Akanji, according to fresh reports.

The Switzerland international has been the subject of mounting interest across Europe in recent weeks, with speculation surrounding his long-term future at the Etihad Stadium continuing to escalate.

Galatasaray were among the first clubs to explore a potential deal earlier in the summer, but differences in salary expectations seemingly ended discussions. Since then, English and Italian sides have entered the frame.

Tottenham are seeking late defensive reinforcements after failing to secure other targets, and Manuel Akanji has been highlighted as one of three options under consideration by Thomas Frank’s side. Reports earlier this week indicated Spurs had approached City to gather information on the player’s availability, putting them in direct competition with AC Milan.

Crystal Palace also entered the mix in recent days, though their ambitions appeared to be complicated by Akanji’s salary demands and his preference for UEFA Champions League football should he leave Manchester City this summer.

Pep Guardiola and his staff have remained open to sales of fringe players this summer, but insist departures must make sense both financially and from a squad-balance perspective.

Now, according to the information of journalist Fabrizio Romano, AC Milan have made an initial verbal proposal worth €15 million plus add-ons for City’s Manuel Akanji – with no issues expected on the club-to-club side with Etihad officials open to a sale.

It is further detailed that the Italian club are talking to the Switzerland international’s agent, in the same scenario as those at Tottenham who are also interested and in contact over a possible deal.

With the market entering its final stretch, Manchester City face an important decision over Manuel Akanji’s role for the 2025/26 campaign.

While Pep Guardiola values the defender’s versatility across the backline, the presence of young centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov and continued reliance on Ruben Dias, Nathan Aké, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones leaves Akanji vulnerable to being moved on.

Should negotiations with AC Milan advance, the player would be following in the footsteps of several former Premier League stars who have somewhat revitalised their careers in Serie A, or taken on fresh challenges in Italian football.

Tottenham, meanwhile, could seek to accelerate their own talks in order to prevent Milan from winning the race. With multiple clubs still circling, Manuel Akanji’s future is expected to be one of the more active storylines to watch as the window approaches deadline day.