Man City Fans Want Key Man 'Sold' After 'Useless' Display vs Southampton

 Manchester City fans have slammed one of Pep Guardiola's stars as the Etihad outfit slumped to a 0-0 draw in their Saturday afternoon clash with already relegated Southampton in what is a massive dent in their hopes for qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Knowing that nothing short of a win would do in order to help City's run to the top four, Erling Haaland was thrown straight in the starting lineup at St Mary's for the first time since his return from injury, looking to bring his goals to the fore and pull clear of the likes of Newastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. However, it was another man who returned to the first XI that was given grief by City fans on social media, who have called for him to be sold ahead of next weekend's FA Cup final.

City Fans Slam Akanji vs Southampton

Despite the lacklustre attacking display from Haaland and co, it was a defender that received the most stick online as the returning Manuel Akanji was singled out after a tough afternoon. The 29-year-old had not started a game since the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid on February 11th, with his last Premier League start coming in the 5-1 drubbing against Arsenal.

Akanji's versatility across the backline has made him a valuable part of Pep Guardiola's squad since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, and the £15 million spent on him was seen as an underrated bargain as the Cityzens would go on to complete a treble that season. After missing 11 games, the Swiss star returned to the City squad in the 2-0 win over Everton and made a couple more appearances off the bench since, but his return to the XI was slammed by City fans despite what was statistically a strong display.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Akanji played in all but two of Manchester City's triumphant 2022/23 Champions League campaign.

"Can’t believe Akanji is starting above Khusanov, it’s unbelievable," stated one, while another said: "Akanji shouldn’t be starting for us. Play O'Reilly."

A third added: "Akanji, it’s time to go," while a fourth described the defender as a "very useless guy." A fifth went one step further, claiming that: "Akanji worst player to ever play at this club."

There were some split opinions on what should happen to the former Dortmund star moving forward, with one suggesting: "He should be sold this summer," while others believe he still has a role in the squad, just a lesser one, as a fan stated: "Akanji should only be a squad player going forward."