Manuel Akanji, a 30-year-old treble winner with Manchester City, completed a Deadline Day loan to join Cristian Chivu at Inter Milan. The Switzerland centre back says a clear message from Pep Guardiola over the summer played a decisive role in his decision to leave on loan.

“He made it clear to us six central defenders that two would play and two would be on the bench. And that it would be difficult for the rest. That wasn’t nice to hear, because I always expect to be on the pitch,” Akanji said in a press conference during international duty.

Asked why he fell out of favour, the defender gave a brief reply: “You’ll have to ask him,” when questioned on why he fell out of favour. Akanji had been named in two of Manchester City’s first three matchday squads this term but did not manage to get off the bench. Guardiola has instead favoured a mixture of Abdukodir Khusanov, John Stones, Nathan Aké and Rúben Dias.

Akanji remains under contract at City until 2027 and did not rule out a future return to the club. He also stressed that, despite the positive feeling around his move to Inter, he and his family were comfortable in the North West of England.

During Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022–23, Akanji made 29 Premier League appearances, primarily as a centre back. He was used infrequently on the flanks and was a starter in the Champions League final in which the Sky Blues defeated Akanji’s new club.

Now with Inter, the Swiss defender will aim to make his first appearance after the international break. A challenging derby against Juventus is scheduled for next Saturday in Turin, providing an early test for his loan spell.

The opening month of the 2025–26 Premier League season concluded with the official release of the August Player and Manager of the Month nominees. The shortlist reflects a mix of attacking returns, defensive leadership and encouraging starts for newly aligned teams.

Riccardo Calafiori has been Arsenal’s starting left back so far this season. That freedom to get involved further up the field produced one goal and two assists across three games in August, with two clean sheets adding to a strong month for the Italian.

Liverpool supply two names. Hugo Ekitiké had two goals and an assist in his first three Premier League games, while Dominik Szoboszlai claimed headlines with a free-kick winner against Arsenal before the international break.

Jack Grealish returned to these shortlists after joining Everton on loan from Manchester City. Four assists in three games have underlined his early impact following his transfer, which was described in earlier reporting as a £100 million ($134.3 million) move to the Etihad.

Marc Guéhi navigated transfer uncertainty to produce a series of solid displays for Crystal Palace, overseeing two away clean sheets at Aston Villa and Chelsea and scoring a long-range goal against Villa.

Erling Haaland, who won this award in August 2024, registered three goals in as many games for Manchester City, finding the net against Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

João Pedro matched Grealish for direct goal contributions across August, scoring twice against Fulham and West Ham United and adding two assists in the latter fixture while leading Chelsea’s midfield in the absence of the injured Cole Palmer.

Antoine Semenyo, who made allegations of racist abuse against a Liverpool fan in Bournemouth’s opening game, responded on the pitch with two goals against Liverpool and an assist against Wolves.

Sunderland began life back in the Premier League strongly under Régis Le Bris, who has two wins from three games. Wilson Isidor grabbed attention with two goals off the bench.

On the managerial side, Chelsea remain unbeaten under Enzo Maresca after recovering from a stuttering home draw with Crystal Palace to beat West Ham and Fulham. David Moyes has overseen Everton’s resurgence, with Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye central to two wins in three. Arne Slot’s Liverpool sit top with the only remaining perfect record, claiming wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal prior to the arrival of Alexander Isak.

Ilkay Gündogan has completed a move to Galatasaray after one year back at Manchester City. The 34-year-old left the Etihad following a summer agreement that ended his contract despite a clause that had automatically triggered a one-year extension after he reached a specified number of appearances.

Gündogan made 54 appearances across all competitions during what the club described as the worst campaign of Guardiola’s City tenure. His exit freed the club of a sizeable wage packet and helped trim a squad Guardiola has repeatedly described as too big.

The transfer carried a strong personal element for Gündogan. He arrived in Istanbul to a rapturous reception and summed up his feelings plainly on social media: “I’m reunited with my childhood love,” and “Happiness is being at Galatasaray.” The German-born midfielder has been open about his Turkish roots and the summers he spent visiting his grandparents.

In an emotional farewell to City supporters, Gündogan explained the move combined sentiment and playing priorities, referring to the club he supported as a child: joining his “childhood favourite club, in a country that means so much to me.”

He also set out his professional motives in a longer message. “Dear Cityzens, I want to be honest with you… the reason why I’m leaving is very simple: I still want to play football as often as possible, because that’s what I love the most,” he wrote. “I’ll turn 35 soon, but I still feel very fit and I truly believe I can continue to perform at a high level for a Champions League team.”

Gündogan acknowledged Manchester City’s decision to refresh the squad: “Man City want a new beginning after an incredible era—something I can fully understand and respect,” and paid tribute to the club’s role in his career by adding, “I will never, ever forget what this great club has done for me over so many years.”