MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City have signed Swiss international defender Manuel Akanji on a five-year deal from Borussia Dortmund, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
The 27-year-old, who has 41 caps for his country, is City’s fifth signing during the current window, which closes later on Thursday.
City director of football Txiki Begiristain said that Akanji fitted the profile of defender that manager Pep Guardiola requires.
“We have been impressed with his performances during his time at Dortmund, where he has developed into a very good defender and one who is ready to perform in both the Premier League and Champions League,” he told the club’s website.
“He has everything we want in a centre-back. He is strong, quick, comfortable in possession, has an excellent passing range and he will complement the other defenders in this team and our style of play,” he added.
Akanji began his career at FC Winterthur and then Basel in the Swiss league before joining Dortmund in January 2018, where he made 158 appearances.
City did not make public the transfer fee but media reports had suggested it was in the region of 15-17 million pounds ($17.4 million – $19.7 million).
($1 = 0.8627 pounds)
(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Toby Davis)
