# Manuel Akanji
**Manuel Akanji**, full name Manuel Obafemi Akanji (born 1995 in Wiesendangen, Switzerland), is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a center-back for [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) club Inter and the Switzerland national team. He previously played for [FC Basel](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-basel), Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City, winning league titles in Switzerland and England and the 2023 [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) as part of Manchester City's Treble side.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) • [2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995, Wiesendangen, Canton of Zürich, Switzerland[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) |
| Position | Centre-back; right-footed, 186 cm tall at the 2018 World Cup[3](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/521318/m-akanji) • [4](https://media-files.abidjan.net/document/docs/Liste-des-joueurs.pdf) |
| Clubs | Winterthur, FC Basel (2015–2018), Borussia Dortmund (2018–2022), Manchester City (2022–2025), Inter (2025–)[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) • [5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615) |
| Major honors | 2 Swiss Super Leagues, 2 Premier Leagues, UEFA Champions League 2023, FIFA Club World Cup 2023, FA Cup, German Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331) • [5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615) |
| Dortmund record | 158 appearances in four and a half years; German Cup 2020/21 and German Super Cup 2019[5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615) |
| Manchester City record | 136 appearances, five goals, seven trophies in three seasons[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) |
| Switzerland | 71 caps since his 2017 debut; Euro 2024 team of the tournament[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) |
## Early life and Basel
Akanji grew up in Wiesendangen in a sporting family: his mother Isabel was a Swiss tennis player and his father Abimbola, a Nigerian finance expert and amateur footballer, passed on his love of the game. He began playing for his local club at nine years old, moved to [Winterthur](https://www.edgepedia.org/winterthur) in 2007, and after six years there earned a transfer to FC Basel in the summer of 2015.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player)
A serious injury limited him to 12 appearances in his first Basel season. He then became a key player over the following two years, winning two [Swiss Super League](https://www.edgepedia.org/swiss-super-league) titles (2015/16 and 2016/17) and the Swiss Cup, and making his Champions League debut in the 2017/18 season.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) • [5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615)
## Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund signed Akanji in January 2018. Over four and a half seasons he made 158 appearances and won the German Super Cup in 2019 and the German Cup in 2020/21.[5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615) Tactical analyses of his Dortmund years describe a physically powerful defender who, in a possession-oriented side, was valued for distributing the ball into wide areas and into midfield, and who was tasked with man-marking opposition attackers.[6](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/manuel-akanji-borussia-dortmund-tactical-analysis-statistics) • [7](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/manuel-akanji-at-man-city-202223-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## Manchester City
Manchester City signed Akanji on deadline day in September 2022 on a five-year contract, with director of football [Txiki Begiristain](https://www.edgepedia.org/txiki-begiristain) citing his strength, pace, comfort in possession, and passing range.[5](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615) He made 48 appearances in his debut 2022/23 season, scoring in the 4-0 Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid, starting the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) final win over Manchester United, and playing a part in the build-up to Rodri's winner in the Champions League final against Inter.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331)
Across three seasons he made 136 appearances, scored five goals, and lifted two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup), the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and the [UEFA Super Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-super-cup); City's 2023/24 title made them the first English men's team to win four league titles in a row.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) • [2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331) His final City appearance came in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup defeat to Al-Hilal.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331)
## Inter
On 2 September 2025, the final day of the transfer window, Akanji joined Inter on a season-long loan from Manchester City, becoming the 23rd Swiss player in the club's history. The loan fee was reported at about two million euros, with a 15 million euro purchase option that becomes an obligation if certain conditions are met, and a salary of about five million euros net per year.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) • [8](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/akanji-vengo-al-inter-para-jugar-la-final-de-la-champions-y-ganarla-n/) He had previously rejected a move to Milan's other club.[8](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/akanji-vengo-al-inter-para-jugar-la-final-de-la-champions-y-ganarla-n/)
He explained his departure from City by describing a conversation with [Pep Guardiola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pep-guardiola), who told the squad's six center-backs that only two would play regularly and the rest would find minutes hard to come by; Akanji said he did not like hearing that because he always expected to be on the pitch.[9](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/akanji-senala-a-guardiola-n/) In his first Inter season he played 33 Serie A games and scored two goals, and he started all of the club's opening Serie A matches of the 2026/27 season.[10](https://theanalyst.com/players/4136/manuel-akanji)
## Playing style
Akanji is a right-footed center-back who can play on either side of a central pairing, in the middle of a back three, and at full-back, versatility that tactical analysts identified as a key reason for his value to Guardiola's City.[7](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/manuel-akanji-at-man-city-202223-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) • [11](https://tacticsjournal.com/2023/04/27/The-space-Manuel-Akanji-positioning-creates/) His ball-playing is a defining trait: at City he averaged more progressive passes than any other center-back in the Swiss national setup, and statistical profiles rank him in high percentiles among defenders for passing volume and progressive distribution.[12](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Total-Football-Analysis-Magazine-74-November-2022-2.pdf) • [13](https://footballkit.lazada.sg/players/manuel-akanji-data-radar-premier-league/)
## International career
Akanji debuted for Switzerland in 2017 and has made 71 appearances. He reached the World Cup round of 16 in 2018 and 2022 and the European Championship quarter-finals in 2020 and 2024, and was named in the team of the tournament at Euro 2024.[1](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player) He was in Switzerland's squad for the 2026 World Cup under coach [Murat Yakin](https://www.edgepedia.org/murat-yakin), where he and record appearance-maker [Granit Xhaka](https://www.edgepedia.org/granit-xhaka) were described as the team's leaders.[14](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/switzerland-world-cup-2026-squad)
## References
1. [Manuel Akanji is an Inter player, Inter.it (2 September 2025)](https://www.inter.it/en/news/manuel-akanji-new-inter-player)
2. [Akanji joins Inter on loan, Manchester City FC](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/manuel-akanji-inter-loan-63892331)
3. [Manuel Akanji player profile, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/521318/m-akanji)
4. [2018 FIFA World Cup Russia squad list, Switzerland](https://media-files.abidjan.net/document/docs/Liste-des-joueurs.pdf)
5. [City seal Akanji signing, Manchester City FC (September 2022)](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/city-sign-manuel-akanji-63797615)
6. [Manuel Akanji Scout Report At Borussia Dortmund 2018/2019, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/manuel-akanji-borussia-dortmund-tactical-analysis-statistics)
7. [Manuel Akanji Scout Report At Man City 2022/23, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/manuel-akanji-at-man-city-202223-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
8. [Akanji: "Vengo al Inter para jugar la final de la Champions y ganarla", AS (2 September 2025)](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/akanji-vengo-al-inter-para-jugar-la-final-de-la-champions-y-ganarla-n/)
9. [Akanji señala a Guardiola, AS (6 September 2025)](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/akanji-senala-a-guardiola-n/)
10. [Manuel Akanji, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/4136/manuel-akanji)
11. [The space Manuel Akanji's positioning creates, Tactics Journal (2023)](https://tacticsjournal.com/2023/04/27/The-space-Manuel-Akanji-positioning-creates/)
12. [Total Football Analysis Magazine 74 (November 2022)](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Total-Football-Analysis-Magazine-74-November-2022-2.pdf)
13. [Manuel Akanji's Data Radar, FootballKit](https://footballkit.lazada.sg/players/manuel-akanji-data-radar-premier-league/)
14. [Switzerland squad World Cup 2026, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/switzerland-world-cup-2026-squad)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › German footballers born 1995 onward*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license