Akanji reveals Pep said competition for places at back 'particularly fierce'

MANUEL Akanji has revealed that Pep Guardiola told his City squad at the start of the summer that players would be left out of games and that competition would be particularly fierce at centre-back.

- By TYRONE MARSHALL @MENSports

The Blues began the summer with six central defenders and, with Guardiola keen to trim his squad, departures were always likely.

Akanji didn’t play a minute in the first three Premier League games of the season and left to join Inter Milan on loan on deadline day.

That deal includes an obligation to buy for €15million if Akanji plays in 50 per cent of Inter's games and they win the Serie A title this season. The 30-year-old centre-back doesn’t expect to return to the Eti-had.

With competition from Ruben Dias, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Abdu-kodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake, he knew game time would be hard to come by, but was willing to fight for his place until Inter made their move.