Man City must immediately regret deadline day transfer decision amid latest John Stones blow
Manchester City should already rue their decision to let Manuel Akanji leave on transfer deadline day.
Fellow defender John Stones has been sent home from England duty thanks to a muscular issue and will not feature for the Three Lions in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and Serbia.
Meanwhile, Man City let Akanji join Inter on loan, meaning that Pep Guardiola will have to cope without the services of the 30-year-old.
The Etihad Stadium outfit had a busy summer transfer window, with stars like Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma moving to the North West, whereas Akanji and Kevin De Bruyne completed their exits.
Man City weaken their injury cover thanks to Manuel Akanji exit
Guardiola utilised the summer transfer window to reshuffle his goalkeeping options as Donnarumma joined from PSG, whereas James Trafford signed for Man City from Burnley.
Meanwhile, as reported by BBC Sport on Friday, 5 September, England boss Thomas Tuchel revealed that Stones’ current injury issues are minor.
However, thanks to lengthy spells on the sidelines, Stones was able to make just 11 Premier League appearances for Guardiola’s men last season, so his latest setback doesn’t bode well.
By allowing Akanji to join Inter on loan, Man City will now be more reliant on Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Ake’s only appearance so far this season came when Guardiola’s men defended poorly in their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, while Khusanov has endured shaky moments since joining from Lens last January.
Meanwhile, a conversation between Akanji and Guardiola this summer appears to be the reason behind the Switzerland international’s departure.
Pep Guardiola has already lost vital ground in the Premier League title race
Before finishing third last season, Man City enjoyed winning four consecutive Premier League titles and are keen to restore their glory days.
However, Guardiola’s side have managed to earn just three points from their first three top-flight games this term, thanks to their back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Brighton.
Consequently, the Etihad Stadium club are already six points adrift of defending Premier League champions Liverpool, who have enjoyed three consecutive wins.
| Manchester City results | Premier League 2025/26 |
| Wolves (A) | 0-4 W |
| Tottenham (H) | 0-2 L |
| Brighton (A) | 2-1 L |
After acquiring talents like Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike this summer, the Reds further bolstered their attack by signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day.
Therefore, Man City’s current form suggests that they are already in an uphill battle to knock Arne Slot’s men off their perch.
Furthermore, Guardiola could be set for a difficult month in September, as his side face cross-city rivals Manchester United before travelling to fellow title hopefuls Arsenal, either side of their Champions League clash with Napoli.
Akanji’s loan exit may only exacerbate any issues Man City face this term amid Stones’ increasingly concerning injury record.