“He will need to improve or I will loan him out as I did to Kavin Phillips this transfer, he almost made a terrible mistake Vs Brentford-Needs to’… Pep Guardiola says £180,000-a-week Man City player has to improve now

Pep Guardiola has conceded that Manuel Akanji must return to his great peak.

Frank Leboeuf recently suggested that the Swiss international was not performing at the same level as he had during his initial season at Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City are nearing the finish of the season, with silverware on the line, and as a result, they will need their top players, such as the £180,000-a-week (Sport Rac) man, to be on peak form.

Pep Guardiola feels Manuel Akanji must return to form.

Martin Keown stated after City’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa that he was “shocked” to see the 28-year-old start in midfield, since he feels more at ease in the backline.

Craig Burley stated that if defenders such as the former Borussia Dortmund centre-back do not improve their performances, the Sky Blues will not retain the Premier League and Champions League titles.

Now, Pep Guardiola has indicated that Manuel Akanji must regain his form.

“There are players that pick up rhythm more quickly, but Manu [Manuel Akanji] was sidelined for two, three, or four weeks. I rely heavily on Manu, an outstanding player, and I will determine who plays. That is all. And as you play more games, your rhythm improves. “That’s normal,” he explained [via HaytersTV].

Guardiola continued, “Manu needs to regain his form. The previous games were not in the proper beat, and we need everyone to be in sync. Manu played quite well against Chelsea. And as we read the second half of what we should do, he raised his level.”

Manuel Akanji should be benched against Brentford if he is going to start in midfield.

Unless Pep Guardiola plans to start Manuel Akanji as an out-and-out defender, he should avoid playing him against Brentford.

Given Akanji’s inability to impress as a makeshift midfielder in possession, a Bees team that employs a relentless high press could have a field day against him.

The game would most likely evolve into a basketball encounter, which would be great for the visitors at Etihad Stadium, as it was last season when they defeated them 2-1 just before the World Cup.

Manuel Akanji, whether playing as a centre-back, right-back, or left-back, should be trusted to do his job against Brentford.

However, in midfield, Thomas Frank’s side could identify the treble-winner as City’s weak link and trigger an upset.