In a recent tweet, The Transfer Exchange Show offered an update on the future of Manchester City defender Nathan Ake. It has been mentioned that the Dutch centre-back could leave the Mancunian club at the end of this season.
Manchester City and Netherlands defender Nathan Aké will leave the club this summer and could be followed out of the door by his teammate, Spain center back Aymeric Laporte. #MCFC #ManCity 🔵 pic.twitter.com/BPogc96MUv
— The Transfer Exchange Show (@TheTransferEx) December 16, 2022
Ake’s Decent Season In Manchester
Ake has enjoyed a solid campaign at the Etihad Stadium as he has continued to serve as an important member of Pep Guardiola’s squad. He has also played an important role for the Netherlands national team this year. The 27-year-old has featured in 13 matches for the Mancunian club this season across various competitions.
The Den Haag-born talent has caught the eye at times by averaging 0.6 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, and 0.8 clearances per game in Premier League football. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 93.5% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Ake’s current contract at the Mancunian club is set to run out in the summer of 2025. Hence, Man City are in no immediate need to cash in on him next year.
Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Let Ake Go?
Ake is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some crunching challenges to secure the ball back for his team on the defensive end of the field. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is proficient at playing his way out from the back. Ake mainly operates as a centre-back but can fill in as a defensive midfielder or as a left-back if his manager asks him to do so.
Standing at 1.80m, he can use his frame to win a few aerial duels but has got a few mistakes in him as well which he needs to cut down in the coming seasons.
At the moment, Ake remains a useful member of Man City boss Pep Guardiola‘s squad. However, that could soon change, if the Mancunian giants decide to sign a new central defender this January or at the end of this campaign. At 27, the Dutch talent is about to enter his prime and could have a good resale value in the future.
All in all, Ake is good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at the Etihad Stadium. Therefore, Guardiola should not think about letting him go until next summer when he will still have a couple of years remaining in his contract.
