Pep Guardiola Delighted With Manchester City's "Incredible Decision" To Sign Manuel Akanji

Pep Guardiola has been very impressed by summer signing Manuel Akanji since he joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund on transfer deadline day.

Pep Guardiola has been very impressed by summer signing Manuel Akanji since he joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund on transfer deadline day.

Akanji, 27, has started five games for City after arriving for a transfer fee in the region of £15 million.

City have won all five of those games, keeping clean sheets in three of them.

Head coach Guardiola is consulted about potential City signings but he is ultimately not in charge of recruitment.

"The club made an incredible decision with him," said Guardiola, as quoted by BBC Sport, when asked about Akanji this week.

Manuel Akanji pictured playing for Manchester City :: IMAGO/Action Plus/David Blunsden

"There are players you have to explain to 10 times what you are thinking, what you want him to do.

"This guy, we did it in just one training session. Just tell him, and he got it.

"It proves again, intelligent people always pay off. Manu has made a huge impact since he arrived. It's a gift for a manager, a gift. We were lucky to get him."

As well as starring for City this season, Akanji scored and assisted as Switzerland beat Spain 2-1 in Zaragoza in September.

Akanji is likely to make his sixth City appearance on Tuesday evening when Guardiola's team visit Copenhagen in the Champions League.

City then travel to Anfield to face Premier League rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

Liverpool will be without injured trio Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip for that game.