Manchester City are keeping a close watch on Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche as they weigh up their options in the transfer market. The 23 year old Frenchman has been one of the standout performers in Ligue 1, impressing with his creativity, pace and all round contribution to the Monaco attack.
City’s interest is long standing, though the situation remains tied to the future of Brazilian winger Savinho. If Savinho remains at the Etihad, there is little chance of Akliouche arriving. However, if Tottenham or another club meet City’s valuation for the Brazilian, the door could open for Akliouche to make the move to England.
It is believed that Monaco would consider offers in the region of €70m for their highly valued attacker. The principality club are not openly seeking a sale, but the scale of that fee could tempt them into negotiations before the window closes.
Maghnes Akliouche Contribution To Monaco
Akliouche played a central role in Monaco’s 2024 25 season, providing ten assists in Ligue 1, more than any other player in the squad. He also scored five goals, giving him the fifth highest tally in the team. His ability to both create and finish chances has made him a vital part of the side.
The winger’s pace is one of his strongest assets, with fourteen fast breaks recorded across the season, once again the best in the squad. He also completed fifty successful dribbles from 106 attempts, giving him a 47.2 percent success rate. While not the most clinical dribbler in Europe, his willingness to take on defenders and carry the ball forward consistently causes problems for opponents.
In comparison, Savinho completed 52 from 102, slightly better in terms of efficiency, but Akliouche attempted more passes overall, showing his higher involvement in Monaco’s attacking build up. His passing accuracy stood at 84.9 percent with 965 passes completed from 1137 attempted, a strong figure for a forward who regularly operates in tight attacking spaces.
Guardiola Total Football Vision
Pep Guardiola is known for demanding versatility and commitment from his wide players, and Akliouche appears to tick several of the required boxes. His defensive output is especially impressive, having won possession back 131 times in Ligue 1, which is 52 more than Savinho managed in the Premier League.
Akliouche also recorded 31 successful tackles across the season, a figure that underlines his willingness to contribute to the press and defensive structure. Discipline is another factor in Guardiola’s system, and Akliouche showed calmness by picking up only two yellow cards in over 2400 minutes of action. That ability to stay composed under pressure will appeal to City’s staff, who often rely on their wingers to maintain positional discipline.
City Options Remain Open
At this stage, Manchester City are not rushing into a deal. Their hierarchy admire Akliouche and have monitored him closely, but any move depends on how the situation with Savinho develops. If the Brazilian remains, the need for another winger diminishes.
However, with the transfer window still active, and Akliouche continuing to grow in reputation, there remains a possibility that City could make their move. For now, the Frenchman stays at Monaco, but the chance to step into the Premier League and join Guardiola’s evolving squad could be too big to resist if the right conditions fall into place.
