Akanji set to become Inter Milan’s first signing for 2026/27

Scudetto trigger could turn loan into permanent deal

Inter Milan are already sketching the first line of their future squad, and the ink is about to dry. 

If all goes as expected, the club’s first official signing for the 2026/27 season will be completed on May 4.

According to Tuttosport via Fcinter1908, the player in question is Manuel Akanji, currently on loan from Manchester City. 

The deal, agreed last September to replace Benjamin Pavard after his move to Olympique de Marseille, included a €1 million (£860.000) loan fee and a €15 million (£12.9 million) option to buy.

From option to obligation: the final step

That option is now on the verge of becoming an obligation. Two conditions were set: Akanji needed to feature in at least 50% of Inter Milan’s matches and the team had to win the Serie A title. 

The first requirement has long been met, with the Swiss defender already making 43 appearances this season.

Now everything hinges on the Scudetto. If Cristian Chivu’s side defeat Parma Calcio 1913, the title will be secured, and with it, the automatic redemption clause will activate.

It would be a familiar script for Inter Milan, who have built a habit of securing future pieces well in advance, from Diego Godín to André Onana, and more recently Piotr Zieliński, Mehdi Taremi, Petar Sučić, and Luis Henrique.

This time, however, the signing carries a symbolic weight. It is not just a transfer, but a consequence of success. Win the title, and Akanji becomes part of the future by design, not by choice.

A deal waiting for a trophy-shaped key to click into place.