Manuel Akanji has expressed his ambition to play for Manchester United, who have been the Bundesliga star’s favourite club since his childhood
In an interview with Swiss outlet NZZ, Manuel Akanji has revealed that Manchester United are his favourite club, and that he would like to pull on the fabled Red Devils jersey one day. The Premier League heavyweights have been in the market for a centre-back for months now, and the Bundesliga star might just be a solution.
That Jose Mourinho has been scouring the market for the perfect solution to his side’s central defensive woes over the last few months has been well documented. But, the Manchester United boss had failed to receive the backing of the club’s hierarchy in the summer transfer window, which seems to backfiring pretty badly.
Manchester United have shipped in 14 goals in their first eight Premier League games – only three other sides have conceded more, each of those being in the bottom quarter of the table. Their struggles at the back though, has reportedly convinced the Red Devils to finally take appropriate action, and sanction a move for a centre-back ahead of the January transfer window.
In recent weeks, a number of central defenders have been heavily linked with Manchester United, who could aggressively pursue a move, if not more, to bolster the heart of their defence. And, the latest player who could enter their radar is Bundesliga star Manuel Akanji, who has confirmed that he harbours the ambition to represent the Red Devils.
“Many know that Manchester United has been my favourite club since childhood. It would be nice to play there. I always want to go higher, as far as possible. But planning the future is difficult. You never know what happens. But that’s not an issue right now. I am very satisfied in Dortmund, I want to win Borussia titles and compete with the Swiss national team in many more big tournaments.”
Akanji only joined Borussia Dortmund earlier this year. But, his rise in stature in Bundesliga football has been quite exceptional, with the player establishing himself as one of the mainstays in the club’s first-team setup. In fact, Akanji is the only player who has played every minute of Dortmund’s campaign thus far this season.
Excellent on the ball and a good reader of the game, the Bundesliga star could be just what Manchester United need at the back. The only other sticking point for Mourinho is that the centre-back should be a good leader, as evidenced by his pursuit of Alessio Romagnoli, Toby Alderweireld and others.
On the flipside, he has been at odds with young defenders like Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, and Akanji could well fall into the same category. The Swiss international though, has guided the likes of Dan-Axel Zagadou and Abdou Diallo well, suggesting that he could be the leader that the Manchester United boss has been yearning for.
For now though, Dortmund can rest easy in the knowledge that Akanji is committed to the Bundesliga giants. Akanji, meanwhile, will be focusing on Switzerland’s UEFA Nations League encounter against Belgium, while it remains to be seen if Manchester United turn their attention towards the 23-year-old.
