Manchester City news: "Clubs often demand loyalty, but don't always offer it" – Former Cityzen opens up about his exit

After a (rare) trophyless season, Pep Guardiola saw Manchester City adopt an aggressive approach in the transfer market to strengthen the squad. Amid so many arrivals, some players lost their place at the Citizens – including Manuel Akanji, who decided to seek pastures new.

The Swiss centre-back was informed by the Spanish manager that he would not be a priority at the Etihad Stadium, which led to his loan move to Inter Milan at the start of 2025-26. The Nerazzurri have an option to buy at the end of the loan agreement, and Akanji has not ruled out a permanent move.

Akanji explains reasons for Manchester City departure

The 30-year-old defender arrived at Manchester City in mid-2022 and, since then, was an important part of their seven trophies – including the Champions League. But the winning CV was not enough to guarantee playing time for the Swiss, who reinforced his discontent with how his cycle at the Citizens came to an end.

"It was stressful at first because everything happened at the last minute. Manchester City suddenly had six fit centre-backs in the summer, but only two were available to play. When I then was not playing at the start of the season, I started looking at my options with my agent," Akanji told Swiss broadcaster SRF.

"Clubs often demand loyalty from their players, but they do not always offer it themselves. Therefore, as a player, you sometimes have to make selfish decisions that are not always understood from the outside," the Inter number 25 added.

Akanji already complained about Guardiola's stance during Manchester City exit

Amid the injury crisis that plagued the Citizens in 2024-25, the Swiss centre-back was one of the most-used players by Guardiola, featuring in 40 of 61 possible matches. However, with the new season arriving, the Manchester City manager surprised Akanji by revealing he would drop to the bottom of the pecking order.

Ruben Dias, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov were all ahead in the Spanish manager's plans. Unhappy with the situation, the defender was linked with Galatasaray and Crystal Palace before agreeing terms with the Nerazzurri in the final days of the window.

Asked at his presentation press conference in Italy about the reason for his change in status at the Citizens, the Swiss replied that you would need to "ask Pep Guardiola." It should be noted that Akanji has a contract in England until June 2027, as does the Spanish manager.

Under Cristian Chivu, the Swiss centre-back has been playing regularly as a starter at Internazionale, who have a £12.7m (€15m) clause that could become obligatory depending on the activation of triggers stipulated in the loan agreement.

Akanji aside, Manchester City also loaned Vitor Reis to Girona last year until the end of 2025-26. In January, the Citizens signed Marc Guehi from the Eagles for £20m. The Englishman has become crucial in recent weeks.