Revealed: The ‘difficult’ clauses required for Manchester City to sell Manuel Akanji to Inter | OneFootball

New information has shone light on the ‘difficult’ conditions that will be required for Manchester City to permanently offload Manuel Akanji next summer.

The Switzerland international is closing in on the end of his Etihad journey, with the player already having travelled to Italy in order to complete the final steps of his move to the San Siro for the ongoing campaign.

Manuel Akanji was pictured by Sky Sports cameras arriving at Milan’s Linate airport on Monday afternoon as he prepared to finalise his loan switch to Inter.

Manchester City’s stance on the defender has softened in recent weeks, with growing acceptance that a change of scenery could benefit all parties as sporting director Hugo Viana aims to trim down Pep Guardiola’s squad numbers.

Reports earlier in the window had linked Akanji with Galatasaray as part of a wider package involving Ederson and İlkay Gündoğan, but it is the Nerazzurri who have now seized their chance to recruit the former Borussia Dortmund man.

The 30-year-old’s willingness to accept a move has been clear from the outset of talks, with Akanji swiftly providing the green light to Inter’s approach, while City and the Serie A side worked against the clock to structure a deal before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Now, according to information provided by transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, Inter have sanctioned a €2 million investment and part-coverage of Manuel Akanji’s Manchester City salary in order to sign the defender on a season-long loan.

Upon the conclusion of the temporary agreement, it is further revealed that the Italian giants will hold a buy-option clause on the player worth €15 million, which will become ‘mandatory’ through ‘difficult conditions’.

It has since been detailed that such conditions are the Switzerland international featured in at least half of Inter’s matches this season, and Cristian Chivu guiding his side to a Serie A title success come the end of the campaign.

For City, this latest development could present a double-edged outcome. On one hand, the deal provides a short-term financial benefit through the loan fee and reduced wage commitments.

On the other hand, the ‘difficult’ clauses mean that a permanent exit for Manuel Akanji may not materialise unless Inter have a hugely successful campaign – as witnessed in the case of previous deals such as Kyle Walker at AC Milan, and Joao Cancelo at Bayern Munich.

Manchester City are not expected to return to the market to source replacements, with club officials confident in their existing options which include the likes of Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Equally, there is intrigue around how Akanji fares under Cristian Chivu in Italy. Should he thrive in Serie A and help deliver silverware, Inter may be compelled to trigger the permanent deal – an outcome that would also bring closure to his chapter in Manchester.