Galatasaray Reports Plans to Sign Manchester City Defender Akanji

Galatasaray is actively pursuing Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji as part of their efforts to strengthen their squad after securing Leroy Sane and Victor Osimhen. The Turkish Super Lig champions have made an official bid for the 30-year-old Swiss defender, who has been a versatile option for Pep Guardiola since joining City in 2022, capable of playing both centre-back and right-back. Talks are ongoing between the clubs, with Akanji's representatives expected in Istanbul to discuss terms, while Manchester City has not ruled out his departure if their valuation is met. Along with Akanji, Galatasaray is also interested in City goalkeeper Ederson, although City prefers to retain him unless he expresses a desire to leave. The Turkish side aims to finalize reinforcements before the transfer deadline to register their squad for the Champions League, and they have alternative goalkeeper targets if a deal for Ederson does not materialize. Despite competition within Manchester City's squad and Guardiola’s comments about squad size, Galatasaray is determined to bolster their defense to compete domestically and in Europe.