Fabrizio Romano had announced Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji was very close to a move to Galatasaray, but the player himself refuted the claims, forcing the famed transfer guru into deleting that post.

Football fans have turned their frustration toward Fabrizio Romano after Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji publicly dismissed reports linking him with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

The controversy began when Romano, widely regarded as the most reliable transfer insider in football, published a post claiming that Galatasaray had submitted a €15 million bid for Akanji.

 According to the initial report, the offer had been accepted, with only minor details remaining before the deal was finalised. 

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The post immediately attracted huge attention, as Romano’s updates are typically regarded as near-certain indicators of transfer moves.

But what followed was a shock few expected. Akanji himself appeared in the comments section of the post, replying directly to the claim with a short, sharp denial: “I don’t know anything about that!” His intervention not only discredited the story but also left Romano scrambling.

Manuel Akanji 😭😭😭😭😭 this brother just replied fabrizio on IG pic.twitter.com/4LJzLOMvcO

 The journalist, who rarely deletes posts, removed the update entirely, sparking even greater discussion online.

Fans quickly took to social media to voice their disappointment, dubbing the incident the “shutdown of Fabrizio Romano.” 

The responses ranged from anger to disbelief. Some accused Romano of spreading false information, while others questioned whether his reputation for reliability had taken a hit. 

Among the chorus of criticism, one phrase in particular stood out as it began trending across replies: “I trusted you.”

The backlash highlights how improbable the transfer always appeared. Akanji, 29, has been a regular starter for Pep Guardiola and played a key role in Manchester City’s defensive setup during their treble-winning campaign. 

A fee of €15 million for a player of his quality and experience would have represented a bargain far below market value, raising eyebrows even before Akanji’s intervention.

Sources close to City have since reinforced that the Swiss international is not for sale and remains firmly part of the club’s plans. 

With his contract still running and his performances consistently solid, the chances of a move to Istanbul in the near future are virtually non-existent.

For Romano, the episode stands out as one of his rare missteps. Known for his meticulous updates and trademark “here we go” announcements, the Italian journalist has built a reputation as the go-to source for transfer news. But in this case, even the most trusted voice in the market found himself at the center of a story he could not control.