According to a recent report from Sky Sports, it was stated that Nathan Ake would remain with Manchester City as Chelsea suffered a huge blow in their hopes of bringing in defensive reinforcements. It is understood that the Mancunian giants were never intending to sell their centre-back until his valuation was met.
Ake’s Impressive Spell With Manchester City Last Season
Nathan Ake has stepped up for Guardiola numerous times in the hour of need to perform spectacularly in the heart of Man City’s defence. He managed to score two goals over 14 appearances last season in the Premier League.
The 27-times Nederlands international has produced some dominant displays at the backline after averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game in the English first division. He was also tidy with his ball distribution after making 1.0 long balls per game and completing 90.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
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How Is He Crucial For Manchester City’s Defensive Department?
Ake is a solid tackler of the ball as he doesn’t mind putting his foot into a tackle. He doesn’t shy away from a challenge and can track down his opponents to stop them in their tracks. The Dutch defender excels at playing his way out from the back and fits the bill of a modern-day ball-playing centre-back. Furthermore, he can hold on to the ball and make long passes into the wide areas finding open teammates to transition the attack.
The 27-year-old could provide cover in the centre-half and the left flank as he remains versatile in playing in the left-back position. This makes him crucial for Guardiola’s first team as Oleksandr Zinchenko’s transfer has left Joao Cancelo to take on the problem position for the Sky Blues while Ake could ease out the pressure.
Since the Etihad club has failed to acquire Marc Cucurella, who they identified as a decent replacement, Nathan Ake’s admission to stay with the English Champions comes as a relief.
