sport news Locked on Man City's bench and loaded with experience... Ake could be a hidden ... trends now
When Nathan Ake arrived at the Etihad for £41million in August 2020, a first-team spot was in touching distance.
Despite storming to a fourth Premier League crown in 2019-20, Manchester City were fully experimenting in defence following the exit of club captain and star defender Vincent Kompany the previous summer.
Injuries to John Stones and Aymeric Laporte limited the pair to fewer than 20 Premier League starts each, which left Nicolas Otamendi as the most used central defender in Pep Guardiola's squad at the end of the season.
Nathan Ake joined Man City for £41m in 2020 after suffering relegation with Bournemouth
The club were eager to find a long-term replacement for Vincent Kompany who left in 2019
Due to his flattering price tag, Ake landed in Manchester with a golden chance to cement himself as a first-team regular, but the arrival of Ruben Dias a month later threw a spanner in the works.
The Portuguese centre-half went on to stun the Premier League with resolute defending and shrewd leadership, claiming the FWA Footballer of the Year at the end of his debut season in 2020-21.
Meanwhile, Ake sustained a nasty hamstring tear and missed 19 matches through injury, starting just nine of his 17 first-team call-ups.
Ruben Dias won the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2020-21 and helped Man City storm the title
John Stones also enjoyed a career-best campaign at the Etihad by developing a winning partnership with Dias and earning Guardiola's trust to climb up the pecking order.
As a result, despite returning to full fitness in 2021-22, the Dutch defender endured a similar appearance total, starting just 10 league matches all season.
At times, Guardiola even snubbed Ake in favour of defensive-midfielder Fernandinho at the back.
Costing Man City just shy of £2.2m per Premier League start, the Dutchman has developed into one of the club's least successful signings of the Sheikh Mansour era - and thus could be on his way out this summer.
Ex-Cherries defender Ake has only managed 19 Premier League starts since joining Man City
Although Chelsea's ambitious swoop for Raheem Sterling is dominating the headlines, Ake has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, as Thomas Tuchel looks to bolster his much-changed defence ahead of next season.
New owner Todd Boehly reportedly requested a valuation for the 27-year-old, who is on the Blues' wish list of potential defensive signings.
Ake made his Premier League debut at Chelsea as a 17-year-old in 2012, before undertaking loan spells at Reading, Watford and Bournemouth.
Tuchel previously expressed interest in Ake during his time at Borussia Dortmund, as the defender piqued the curiosity of several managers across Europe.
Despite his slightly undersized sub-6ft frame, the Holland international fits the mould of a modern day centre-back, possessing agility, recovery speed and confidence in possession.
