After a nightmarish debut campaign for Manchester City riddled with injuries, Nathan Ake certainly redeemed himself by playing a key role during his sophomore season.
Despite sitting behind the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones in the central defensive pecking order, the Dutchman’s handy versatility meant his services were often called into question.
One of the finest examples of this occurred in the second-leg of the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, as the 27-year old’s heroics at left-back allowed Manchester City to grind out a scoreless draw and progress to the semi-final stage of the competition.
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Similarly, Nathan Ake’s miraculous goal-line clearance against Arsenal was another season-defining moment which proved vital in the Sky Blues’ eventual Premier League title triumph.
However, the past couple of days have seen the former AFC Bournemouth defender being linked with a return to former employers Chelsea.
It was recently reported that the Dutch international is high up on Thomas Tuchel’s transfer wish list this summer, as the Stamford Bridge club look to strengthen at the back.
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In addition, another claim was made about how Manchester City had informed the player that he is free to depart the Etihad Stadium, should the right proposal be made.
In a summer where both Raheem Sterling and Nathan Ake could be headed to West London, a new revelation details the truth around the speculation surrounding the latter.
As per a report by Matt Law of the Telegraph, Chelsea are now ‘optimistic’ of reaching an agreement to sign Nathan Ake, with the player reportedly open to the idea of a return to Stamford Bridge starting from the new season.
It is mentioned that while a transfer fee is yet to be finalised, talks have been held between both clubs and a deal could well be struck to secure his signature.
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It has largely been reported that Nathan Ake eyes increased playing time next term, as he is considered a utility man in the Sky Blues squad by manager Pep Guardiola.
With Antonio Rudiger signing for Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen’s imminent switch to Barcelona, Chelsea only have Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta as the experienced defenders amongst their ranks.
While only time will tell whether the two-time Champions League winners sign one of Sevilla’s Jules Kounde or Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, the Manchester City ace would certainly have a superior chance of being a regular starter for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
However, Nathan Ake’s recent comments about continuing to progress at Manchester City indicates that he intends to stick around for the 2022/23 season.
Unless Pep Guardiola shows an immense amount of faith in Luke Mbete or has a centre-back reinforcement in mind, it is unlikely that Nathan Ake will be allowed to leave the club in the summer.
In other news, Gabriel Jesus’ move to Arsenal is all but confirmed, while question marks hang over the futures of both Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Featured Image Credit: PA Images / AlamyTopics: Nathan Ake, Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Premier League, Football, Transfers
