Inter Milan are preparing to make Manuel Akanji’s stay in Italy permanent by activating the €15 million buy option included in his loan agreement with Manchester City.
The Swiss international moved to the San Siro last summer on a season-long loan from the Etihad Stadium, with Inter agreeing a €2 million fee and a €15 million buy option.
He has since then settled into Inter’s backline under coach Cristian Chivu, breaking into the starting XI and adjusting to Italian football. Efforts to integrate him have paid off, as the defender’s performances have contributed to the club’s push in Serie A and the Champions League.
As confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, the buy option will be exercised, with inter planning to keep the former Borussia Dortmund defender as part of their defence.
The Italian side plans to trigger the clause in June after the board decided Akanji is a long-term asset. The 30-year-old brings European experience from Winterthur and Basel, through Borussia Dortmund, to a trophy-filled spell at Manchester City, adding leadership to a defence that has seen changes in recent seasons.
Akanji moved to Manchester City in 2022 after four and a half seasons with Borussia Dortmund, during which he became a reliable centre-back in the German top flight.
He was part of a squad that won the 2022–23 and 2023–24 Premier League titles, and a Champions League trophy, but a crowded centre-back group and the pursuit of younger talents saw him leave on loan.
Inter’s sporting directors monitored his situation closely before coming up with a loan proposal that included a defined route to a permanent transfer.
