Nathan Aké’s future at Manchester City is no longer so certain. The Dutch defender – signed in the summer of 2020 from Bournemouth for a fee of around €45 million – is considering, as reported by Fabrizio Romano on his Italian-language YouTube channel, changing surroundings at the end of the season and embarking on a new professional adventure by wearing a shirt other than that of the Citizens.
During the last winter transfer window, AC Milan had sounded out the player’s entourage over a possible move in January, but in the end the deal did not materialise, also due to Pep Guardiola’s desire not to part with one of his defensive pillars.
Now, however, the situation has slightly changed, and it is the player himself who is considering the possibility of saying goodbye in the summer.
The main reason pushing the Den Haag-born player, class of 1995, to consider this option is essentially one: as also reported by Fabrizio Romano, Aké is unhappy with his current playing time this season at Manchester City and is seriously thinking about leaving the English club to go elsewhere and play more.
During the current campaign, Aké has not been one of Guardiola’s first-choice defenders: deployed either as a centre-back in a back four or as a left-back, across all competitions (Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League) he has started only 15 matches (six of which in the Carabao Cup and only four in the league), accumulating a total of 1,445 minutes over 29 appearances overall.
Falling down the current pecking order, he is therefore considering bringing forward his departure from City by one year (his contract runs until 2027) and could become an important and interesting market opportunity in the summer, also for Italian clubs, especially AC Milan, who already tried to bring him to Italy in January.
But what is emerging regarding Milan?
Sporting director Igli Tare, as reported by Calciomercato.com, still has the Dutch centre-back’s name very high on his list of possible defensive reinforcements. Aké is a profile appreciated for his versatility and adaptability (he can play both as a central defender and as a wide centre-back) and for his international experience by both the technical staff and the club’s management. In January there was not the necessary budget to push forward with the move and convince Manchester City to let the Dutchman leave mid-season.
Relations between the Albanian Rossoneri executive and the Wasserman agency (which represents the Dutch player) are more than good, and the trail could reopen in the summer, to provide the type of defensive reinforcement requested by Massimiliano Allegri.
