Manchester City have signed Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund for £16.7m on a five-year contract until June 2027.
Akanji’s arrival bolsters City’s centre-back options following recent injuries for Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake,, although no centre-back will be departing the club on Deadline Day.
City have paid Dortmund a £14.7m transfer fee with £2m in add-ons taking the overall transfer fee to £16.7m, with the 27 year-old signing a five-year contract until June 2027.
Speaking about his move to the Etihad Stadium, Akanji said that he was “delighted” to join the club as he praised City, commenting: “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.”
Akanji went on to praise manager – Pep Guardiola and his new teammates as he added: “Pep Guardiola is an exceptional manager, and this is an exceptional squad of players, so this is an exciting opportunity for me.
“I am really looking forward to testing myself in the Premier League and I will do everything I can to help this Club be successful.”
City Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain meanwhile is “confident” that Akanji will bring his “plenty of experience playing at the top level of European football” to the Premier League.
Begiristain added that Akanji also boasts the qualities that City need in their centre-backs as he said: “He has everything we want in a centre-back.
“He is strong, quick, comfortable in possession, has an excellent passing range and he will complement the other defenders in this team and our style of play.”
Akanji began his senior career with FC Winterthur of whom he graduated through their youth academy and went on to score once in 37 appearances, before he switched to Basel in summer 2015 where he contributed seven goals in 57 appearances and two league titles plus 2016-17 Swiss Cup.
During his time at Dortmund since January 2018, he scored four goals in 158 appearances across five seasons, whilst also winning 2019 DFL-SuperCup and 2020-21 DFB-Pokal.
Akanji also represents Switzerland in international football, having earned 41 caps since he made his senior debut in June 2017.
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