Nathan Ake has an uncertain future at Manchester City as he’s struggled for playing time under Pep Guardiola and finds himself low down the centre-back pecking order.
The 26-year-old has been at the Etihad Stadium for 18 months but has yet to establish himself as a regular. 90min say West Ham United are looking to capitalise on the situation by bringing Ake to London, but it remains to be seen if their pursuit is successful.
United aren’t short of defenders with Kurt Zouma, Issa Diop, Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna at their disposal, but Ogbonna’s injury leaves David Moyes short on cover ahead of a busy fixture list. Ake could fill the void at the back, but City might feel they need him also.
The Netherlands international joined from Bournemouth in August 2020 and has gone on to make 22 appearances in all competitions. Ake has featured in 9/23 games this season, amassing 677/2070 minutes, so he’s not a starter but a useful squad player.
He won’t get picked ahead of Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte but can provide cover if injury strikes. And City would have only weeks to replace Ake if he was afforded a January departure, so he might be kept instead.
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