September 01, (THEWILL) – Manuel Akanji, a defender for Borussia Dortmund, has completed a transfer to Manchester City for a reported sum of £15.1 million.
The Swiss international signed a five-year contract with the English Premier League champions and will play at Etihad Stadium wearing the number 25 jersey. Given recent injuries to Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake in Pep Guardiola’s defence, Akanji will add more contention for a spot in the middle of the backline.
The 27-year-old, whose contract at Signal Iduna Park was about to expire, is the second player, after Erling Haaland, to switch from Dortmund to City during this transfer window. Together with Haaland, he won the German Cup in 2021.
After joining BVB from Basel in 2018, Akanji played 158 times in all competitions, scoring four goals. However, at the beginning of this season, Akanji had yet to make an appearance for new head coach, Edin Terzic.
Akanji, who could debut on Saturday, against Aston Villa, expressed his happiness with the move to England saying: “I am delighted to be here, and can’t wait to get started. City have been one of the best teams in Europe over the last few seasons. They are brilliant to watch, play an exciting brand of football and compete for trophies year in, year out, so coming here feels like the perfect next step in my career.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
