Manuel Akanji left Borussia Dortmund and completed a move to Manchester City on deadline day of the last window, signing a five-year deal at the Etihad.
A few days later, the centre-back made his debut for the Citizens, starting in their 4-0 win over Sevilla in the Champions League.
The Switzerland international is currently with the national team and gave 20 Minuten a chance to have a chat with him on various topics, including how his move to Manchester City took shape.
“I was in Dortmund four days before the end of the transfer window and watched Bundesliga and Premier League games on TV. Then came the contact with Manchester City. From there everything went pretty fast,” he said.
The defender came up through the ranks of FC Winterthur and is now at Manchester City.
When asked whether he pinches himself sometimes, Akanji said: “Don’t pinch, but of course it’s a huge step considering where I’m from. I am very proud of it and thankful for the support of my family and friends.
“We have a lot of good players. I know that it won’t be easy. I also don’t expect to play through every game for 90 minutes, but I want to make it as difficult as possible for the coach.”
Akanji had entered his final year of contract at Dortmund and the discussions over a new deal didn’t progress between the two parties since he had decided not to sign a new deal with BVB.
There were suggestions the player wanted to change clubs all along, and, on this topic, the Swiss explained: “I never said I really wanted to change. I said I’d like to take the next step if it’s possible. This has often been misinterpreted.
“I don’t want to talk about it [how BVB treated him] too much anymore. There are also some things that don’t need to be made public. It is a chapter that I would now like to put behind me.”
Pep Guardiola heaped praise on the player after his debut for Manchester City, but what matters to Akanji is something else.
“What he tells me personally is much more important to me. That gives me extra self-confidence. He really sees everything on the pitch, but also looks at how the players behave off it,” he concluded.
