AC Milan approach Man City over Manuel Akanji transfer as Serie A side challenge Galatasaray for defender

AC Milan have made first contact with City regarding a possible transfer for Swiss international Akanj. The 30-year-old centre-back, who has been frozen out of Pep Guardiola’s plans, has now emerged as a serious option for the Rossoneri as they seek to strengthen their defence before the transfer window closes. According to Fabrizio Romano, Milan have not yet submitted a formal bid but have inquired about the conditions of a deal, as they look to challenge Gala, who already agreed a £15m (€18m/$20m) fee with City but failed to convince the player on personal terms. 

Milan’s interest in Akanji comes at a crucial time as their season began with a disappointing home defeat to Cremonese, exposing defensive weaknesses that the club cannot afford to ignore. While their transfer activity has been dominated by attacking pursuits, from Victor Boniface to Artem Dovbyk and Christopher Nkunku, who has reportedly reaching an agreement with the club, the Rossoneri backline has now moved up the priority list. Akanji would slot into a defence currently reliant on young options like Koni De Winter. For City, meanwhile, the move aligns with Guardiola’s desire to trim his squad and focus on a smaller, more manageable group for the 2025-26 campaign.

Akanji has been in limbo for weeks, and City believed they had secured his departure to Gala, but the Turkish champions could not reach an agreement on his salary. This opened the door for Milan, who are weighing their options with other defensive targets, but see Akanji as the most attainable and proven choice. The Swiss defender, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, brings Champions League pedigree and over 50 caps for Switzerland. His omission from City’s squad against Tottenham underscored how far he has fallen out of favour at the Etihad.

The Rossoneri are racing against time, and with only days left in the transfer window, Milan must decide whether to accelerate their pursuit of Akanji or risk losing him to Gala, who may return with an improved offer. Whether Milan’s exploratory talks develop into a concrete offer could define their defensive stability for the entire season.