Newcastle United will reportedly need to shell out a transfer fee of £50 million in to sign Nathan Ake from Manchester City in the summer.
According to The Sun, Manchester City have informed Newcastle United that their valuation for Nathan Ake is around £50 million after the Magpies rekindled their interest in the centre-half. The 27-year-old Dutchman might be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium after being considered surplus to requirements.
A product of the Chelsea academy, big things were expected of Ake when Manchester City splashed £41 million to capture the 27-year-old’s signature from Bournemouth after the Cherries were relegated from the Premier League two years ago.
However, the move has not panned out as planned. The versatile defender has never been able to establish himself as a regular starter at Manchester City, remaining a bit-part player for much of his career. With Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, and Ruben Dias ahead of him in the pecking order, Ake managed only ten Premier League starts last term.
And while he can also operate at left-back, he has had to compete with Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko in that position. Still, the Dutchman has somehow managed to squeeze out 40 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City in the last two seasons, chipping in with four goals during that time as well.
But at the age of 27, Ake is in desperate need of more regular minutes under his belt even if offered elsewhere. As such, Pep Guardiola has told the defender he can leave Manchester City this summer. Newcastle are one of several clubs interested in offering Ake a lifeline as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his squad, with a reunion with Ake at St. James’ Park on the cards.
LOSC Lille defender Sven Botman is once again touted to be Newcastle’s primary target this summer as they look to climb towards the European places next season. But they face stiff competition from AC Milan, who now have new American owners ready to invest heavily in the Italian giants.
With the lure of regular UEFA Champions League football and the prospect of contending at the top of Serie A, the Milan heavyweights are pretty much in the driving seat, with Newcastle forced to look elsewhere. To that end, Manchester City defender Nathan Ake could be an interesting alternative for the Tyneside outfit.
Howe and Ake have a previous working history together. Howe signed the Manchester City defender during his time as the Bournemouth manager, and it was during his four-year stint with the Cherries that the Dutchman played some of the best football of his career so far.
The Dutchman is a left-footed forward-thinking central defender who can help Newcastle transition their philosophy to a dominant, possession-based style thanks to his ability with the ball at his feet and initiate attacks out from the back.
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Ake arrives with proven Premier League pedigree and international level experience that could be invaluable to this Newcastle side. Having said that, the Magpies should consider other avenues than paying £50 million for the Manchester City defender, which is a heavily-inflated price tag.
