There are several players Manchester City would love to get off their books over the coming weeks.
James McAtee is Man City’s main focus at present, as the 22-year-old is the easiest star to sell given the level of interest in the midfielder from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs.
The Manchester club will find it difficult to part ways with Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips, while there are others in Pep Guardiola’s squad that the Premier League giants would be tempted to sell, should the right offer arrive.
Galatasaray are keen on two Man City stars, and while one of them is a possibility, the other would create problems at the Turkish giants.
Manuel Akanji is not a target for Galatasaray
It was reported on Friday that Galatasaray had made a bid for Ederson, but at the same time, the Super Lig champions have enquired about the situation of Manuel Akanji at Man City.
Man City fans were delighted about the Akanji news as the Swiss star has been underperforming for some time, but it was said that the deal would only happen if the centre-back was willing to reduce his salary.
According to Ali Naci Küçük, Galatasaray don’t have an interest in Akanji at present, with the Turkish journalist believing the arrival of the Man City star would disrupt the dressing room at the Istanbul club should he arrive on a salary much higher than his teammates.
“Akanji is not currently on Galatasaray’s agenda,” Ali Naci Küçük told Futbol Arena. “There will be a squad change at Manchester City. Perhaps it could be a bargain transfer opportunity at a reasonable cost. But for now, there is no move from Galatasaray regarding Akanji.
“Akanji could only happen if Manchester City meets the fee. The leader in this team’s centre-back position is Davinson [Sanchez]. You have to consider the balance. If you bring in Akanji with almost twice Davinson’s salary, you disrupt the balance.”
Guardiola has previously stated that Akanji is staying at Man City for the 2025/26 campaign, and going off this update, that now looks to be the case.
Where does Manuel Akanji stand among Man City’s top earners
Akanji currently earns £180k per week at Man City, according to Capology, which places the Swiss star 12th on the payroll at the Premier League giants.
The 30-year-old is a long way behind the highest-paid defender at the Manchester club, an honour that falls on John Stones, with the Englishman bringing home £250k-a-week from the Etihad Stadium.
Galatasaray’s highest-paid defender is Davinson Sanchez, who is currently earning £90k-a-week in Turkey, so it is easy to see why the arrival of Akanji on his Man City salary could cause a problem at the Istanbul-based club.
