Manuel Akanji was something of a shock transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City this summer time, but he says he is not at the Etihad just to make up the numbers.
Akanji is familiar with all about numbers, his psychological arithmetic earning for some powerful viewing on-line. But one determine couple observed coming was the €17.3 million City compensated for his solutions at the finish of the current transfer window.
Akanji would have been on a free at the stop of the season, and he experienced fallen out of favour at Dortmund, with the club signing Germany global centre-backs Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck from Bayern Munich and Freiburg respectively this summer season.
Manuel Akanji is a maths genius 🧠pic.twitter.com/yOc0wJiDBz
— Soccer Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) September 1, 2022
But Pep Guardiola seemingly noticed some thing in Akanji that Edin Terzic and many others at Dortmund had skipped.
“[Manchester City] explained to me that we never have a No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,” Akanji advised the Athletic. “We are all players in that posture and the guys who coach best and play the most effective are heading to engage in.”
‘Guardiola will make changes’
“Guardiola will make changes due to the fact if he plays the exact same workforce each activity there will be problems – your body just can’t do it.”
Akanji is the fourth previous Dortmund participant in the Metropolis squad next Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergio Gomez, the young left-back again who arrived by way of Anderlecht this summer. Jadon Sancho, throughout city at Manchester United, is another previous teammate.
“I’m in touch with Jadon a great deal,” Akanji explained. “With Erling, I spoke before I arrived listed here certainly, we also stayed in contact when he left [Borussia Dormund].
“They informed me right here I am going to understand a lot in teaching mainly because the intensity is so substantial that it makes it a large amount tougher. It’s not like we are performing distinct exercise routines from Dortmund, but the excellent and depth can make it so a lot better.
“It can be challenging and that exhibits you can get utilised to the Premier League. I think that it truly is a ton speedier than in Germany.”
