Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was clear that he didn’t want a big squad over the summer.
Several players left this club on loan this summer, including Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji.
Akanji is on international duty with Switzerland before heading to Milan and possibly making his debut in the next week.
The Swiss defender opened up about his move to Inter, and he revealed the reason why he left City over the summer.
Why did Akanji leave Man City?
At a Switzerland press conference, Akanji told the media, “He [Guardiola] made it clear to us six central defenders that two would play and two would be on the bench.
“And that it would be difficult for the rest. That wasn’t nice to hear, because I always expect to be on the pitch.”
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Akanji was asked why Guardiola had moved him down the pecking order, and the defender said, “You’ll have to ask him.”
Guardiola has preferred to play Ruben Dias and John Stones, with Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake also in the mix.
Akanji admitted that the move has been hard, saying, “It’s still difficult to realise right now that I’m suddenly no longer part of the City family, although I still feel like I am somehow.
“Also, because I didn’t meet any of my new teammates in Milan on Monday, as everything happened so quickly, and there was no training. My family and I have felt very comfortable in Manchester, and we will definitely miss life there.
The central defender is up for the challenge with Inter, though, saying, “I’m very happy it worked out. I like Inter very much.”
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