Manchester City transfer news: 'Mandatory' exit of Pep Guardiola defender agreed but only if 'difficult conditions' are met

Manchester City have reportedly agreed to let Manuel Akanji sign for Inter Milan on loan, but on the condition that the Italian side must activate their buy option if difficult conditions are met.

Pep Guardiola's side suffered a bruising 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, failing to take any points despite Erling Haaland giving them the lead in the first half.

The Citizens have looked defensively vulnerable this term, and it is no surprise that they have attempted to rebuild their defence, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma set to join the club from Paris Saint-Germain.

There have also been rumours that Guardiola could look to move on players in the backline before the closure of Monday's transfer deadline.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Inter have agreed to sign Akanji on loan for a fee of €2m (£1.7m), but they will have to trigger their €15m (£13m) buy option if certain conditions are met.

Manchester City's defence assessed: Does Pep Guardiola have enough depth?

Matheus Nunes started as City's right-back in their loss to Brighton, and he will be needed considering Akanji was versatile enough to cover in full-back areas as well as in central defence.

Rico Lewis is also able to play as a full-back, but there are concerns that the club are yet to truly replace Kyle Walker, who left to join Burnley in the summer.

In the heart of backline, Guardiola has a number of players at his disposal, but centre-back John Stones cannot be relied upon from a fitness perspective.

His ability on the ball is arguably unrivalled in the City squad, and others like Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake are not as adept at playing out from the back.

Premier League struggles: Have Manchester City failed in the transfer market?

City have conceded four times in their three Premier League games so far, with the club losing two and winning just one of their first three fixtures.

The Citizens already trail league-leaders Liverpool by six points, and Guardiola will be worried given that it looks as if many of the issues from 2024-25 are still present.

When factoring in the January transfer window, City have spent significantly in excess of £300m in 2025 on new players, but they have arguably not addressed their weaknesses during counter-attacks.

It would be foolish to write off City's chances of winning the Premier League title, but it would not be unfair at this stage to suggest that their immense expenditure has failed to adequately strengthen the squad.