Pep Guardiola Could Help Barcelona Solve Major Issue With January Decision

Pep Guardiola could reportedly be set to help his former club, Barcelona, by sanctioning a Manchester City star’s transfer to the Catalan side.

Guardiola’s future at Man City remains uncertain, with several reports suggesting that the 2025/26 campaign could be his last in charge, with the likes of Enzo Maresca and Vincent Kompany among the contenders to potentially replace the 54-year-old should he call time on his tenure at the Etihad.

Nonetheless, Pep will likely want to leave the ten-time champions of England in the best position possible, having already welcomed several top players – including Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma – to the club in the 2025 summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, City legends Kyle Walker, Ederson and Ilkay Gundogan all moved on as they approach the latter years of their respective careers.

• If you want to see even more from SPORTbible, make us a preferred source on Google.

Pep Guardiola has been linked with a potential Man City exit (Credit:Getty)

And the clear-out may continue this January, with reports in Spain linking an out-of-favour player with Barcelona.

Dutch centre-back Nathan Ake, who has played just 13 times this term, is reportedly an option for Barcelona amid their selection issues in central defence.

Hansi Flick’s side are currently without centre-back Ronald Araujo, who has been granted leave to “prioritise” his mental health.

While former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen is expected to be out for around four months with a partial anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACL), meaning head coach Flick is left with 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi as his only available first-choice centre-back.

Usual left-back Gerard Martin has been employed in the centre of defence in recent matches, but the experience of Ake, who has won four Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League with City, would bring much-needed stability and experience to the defensive unit.

Nathan Ake has struggled for minutes this season (Credit:Getty)

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reports that Ake is among a quartet of options - alongside Benfica captain Nicolas Otamendi, Inter defender Stefan de Vrij and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi - that fit the profile the La Liga champions are looking to recruit.

Ake is contracted to City until June 2027 and has “not enjoyed the level of involvement” under Guardiola this season, meaning he could “consider a move in January in search of playing time” ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

According to transfer expert Ekrem Konur, City are open to selling the player, but Barca may face competition from Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Ham United.

City would be seeking a fee of around £25 million as per Team Talk, while a loan is also a possibility. The transfer window opens on January 1.