Inter Milan are set to sign Manuel Akanji from Manchester City after agreeing a loan deal on the deadline day of the transfer window, as revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Nerazzurri will pay an initial loan fee of €2 million with a buy-option worth €15 million. The clause will become mandatory if the Swiss defender plays 50% of matches and Inter clinch the Serie A title this season.
Akanji is among the few players the Cityzens have been looking to offload this summer. Manager Pep Guardiola no longer considers the former Borussia Dortmund man central to his plans.
While Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur registered their interest, Inter moved quickly to wrap up the deal for Akanji.
The 30-year-old is set to undergo medicals soon, and the Champions League factor has played a decisive role for Inter in the negotiations.
Inter have been trying to bolster their defence throughout the summer but missed out on top targets like Giovanni Leoni, Koni De Winter and Oumar Solet.
While there were concerns that Inter could pass up the opportunity to add a centre-back to their ageing backline in this transfer window, they have sprung a surprise with an eleventh-hour deal for Akanji, who will boost the defensive options for manager Cristian Chivu.
Akanji’s arrival might open the door for the exit of Benjamin Pavard, who has been heavily linked with a move to Marseille.
The Swiss defender is set to become Inter’s final and fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Petar Sucic, Luis Henrique, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Andy Diouf.
Inter failed to build on their dominant win against Torino after suffering a shocking 2-1 defeat against Udinese in Serie A over the weekend.
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