As of Wednesday, Manchester City and Galatasaray have reportedly agreed on a £15 million transfer fee for Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, though the deal remains far from complete.
While the clubs have reached a club-to-club agreement, the move hinges entirely on the player’s decision and at the moment, there are no signs that Akanji is keen on leaving the Etihad.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Galatasaray are preparing to present their official offer to Akanji within 24 hours. However, the 30-year-old centre-back quickly pushed back against these claims. Responding on Instagram, Akanji wrote: “Don’t know anything about that,” after Romano reported the fee agreement. Interestingly, the Italian journalist’s Instagram post was later deleted. However, he clarified on his official X handle that while the clubs have agreed on terms, no proposal has yet been made to the player.
He tweeted:
“After club to club agreement, Galatasaray will make their offer to Manuel Akanji in 24h. No proposal on the table to the player yet and currently no indications from Akanji on intention to accept destination. Deal agreed between clubs, but not done with the player yet.”
For Galatasaray, central defence is a top priority this summer. The reigning Super Lig champions had earlier explored a package deal with Manchester City that included other big names such as Ederson and İlkay Gündoğan, but Akanji has since emerged as their primary target. Softfootball even reported that Galatasaray executives travelled to the UK to hold talks with City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana.
From City’s perspective, Pep Guardiola is open to trimming his squad ahead of the new season. Akanji, who has been a reliable part of the defensive rotation since joining from Borussia Dortmund, is considered expendable if a satisfactory bid comes through. However, City are not planning to seek an immediate replacement, with Nathan Aké and Abdukodir Khusanov ready to provide cover.
The situation now rests firmly in Akanji’s hands. Galatasaray have done their part by agreeing terms with Manchester City, but unless the Swiss defender is convinced to make the switch to Istanbul, the move will stall. With the transfer window ticking on, the next few days will be decisive in determining whether Akanji continues his career in Turkey or remains at the Etihad as City chase more silverware in 2025/26.
