Manchester City Tells Defender He Is Free to Leave Amid Interest
By Aditya Kumar
Manchester City have told one of their first-team players that he is allowed to leave the club amid interest from fellow Premier League clubs like Chelsea.
27-year-old Nathan Ake has been attracting interest from several clubs in the transfer window, which includes Chelsea, Newcastle, and Aston Villa.
With Pep Guardiola giving him the green light to leave the Etihad, the Spaniard would be in search of a replacement for the Dutchman before letting him leave them.
According to Football Insider:
"A City source has told Football Insider that the club will sell Ake for the right price but they want a replacement signed before letting him go. It is the firmest sign yet that the Netherlands international could be heading out of Etihad Stadium two years after his £40million arrival.via footballinsider247.com"
Nathan Ake in the Premier League
Nathan Ake joined Manchester City back in 2020, following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship. He has struggled to get regular minutes on the pitch while playing for the Premier League champions.
In his debut season, he made only 10 top-flight appearances and added only 14 more in his second season at the Manchester club. Despite his lack of game time, Guardiola is said to be a fan of the Dutchman and regards his compatibility and attitude very highly.
What Is Manchester City’s Asking Price For Ake?
Ake still has three years remaining on his contract with Manchester City and they will not let him leave for cheap. The left-footed centre-back is valued at around £40 million and they will not accept bids any cheaper than that.
Chelsea are said to be one of the clubs eyeing his signature. It is important to note that Ake is an ex-Chelsea player, who left the club due to a lack of first-team game time. But with Andreas Christiansen and Antonio Rudiger leaving the Blues, and the futures of Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcus Alonso still uncertain, Chelsea are desperate for defenders.
Ake will fit into Thomas Tuchel’s system seamlessly and comes with years of Premier League experience. Chelsea have previously been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid’s Jose Maria Gimenez. They face competition from Manchester United and other top clubs in Europe.
Ake is not the only Cityzens the West London club is linked with. Reports believe the Blues’ first signing under the Todd Boehly regime will be a Man City star in the shape of Raheem Sterling. The other target from Manchester is Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Newcastle, who have already signed Sven Botman, might want to reunite Nathan Ake and Eddie Howe, who worked together during their time as Cherries and where Ake played regularly and his best football. They will be looking to add Ake to the acquisition of Botman, as they prepare for their first full season under new ownership.
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