The Swiss defender has made an impressive start with the Premier League champions, settling in quickly with several outstanding performances under his belt already.
Akanji also believes his natural playing style was a major factor in his move to England.
“I think the way I play is why they got me here,” said the central defender.
“They knew that I could fit into that system, but my teammates made it easy for me on the pitch and they gave me a lot of solutions.
“The coach and the coaching staff told me what they expect of me before the game, and I try to do that.
“I think in these first four games I have played it has gone really well for me. I try to do it every day in training, so it makes it easier for me in the game.”
The former Borussia Dortmund star slipped effortlessly into the City team with his debut in our Champions League victory at Sevilla coming just days after his arrival at the Club.
Akanji shone in the 4-0 win over the La Liga side, and he admits he didn’t have time to feel nervous or think too much about playing so soon after signing.
“I think it was good because there were so many good things happening around me and I was feeling great,” he said.
“I was really happy when I came. I didn’t even know if I was going to be in the squad and I didn’t know if I was going to play.
“Obviously, the manager put me in straight away and I didn’t have the match fitness like the other guys because I hadn’t played a lot.
“But on the pitch, I felt great, my teammates helped me a lot and I could play my first 90 minutes which went really well.”
He also enjoyed his first Manchester derby… last Sunday’s superb 6-3 win over United.
“It was great!” he smiled.
“We knew that United wanted to come to steal points from us, but we were ready from the first minute.
“I think we dominated the game over 90 minutes. They still scored three goals and I think that was too much.
“We could have done better, and I think we switched off a bit after it went to 6-1. But over 90 minutes I still think it was a dominant win for us.
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“When I signed here, I was asked what I thought the biggest game would be for me this season and I said the Manchester derby.
“It is just the rivalry that has been here for so many years. I was really happy that we got the win, especially at home and I could play in it for 90 minutes.
“I was really happy with the team performance that day.”
Inevitably, Akanji was asked about his former Dortmund team-mate Erling Haaland – and he issued a stark warning to Premier League defenders that the Norwegian is only going to get better in this City team.
“It is hard to predict what someone is going to do when they are going to a new club because you never know what is going to happen,” Akanji added.
“But I am not surprised with what he is doing right now. I do think he is doing it at a higher level to what he was doing at Dortmund, but it is also to do with the team and the players that he has around him, the passes he gets.
“Also, his finishing, his runs from deep, his headers, he has improved a lot already. If he keeps on doing that, he will score more and more goals.”
