Nathan

Ake

Ever reliable

Nathan Ake was Manchester City’s second signing of summer 2020, arriving on a five-year deal which keeps him at the Club until 2025.

The defender joined from Bournemouth, where he made 109 appearances in three seasons.

Ake played predominantly at centre-half for the Cherries, but is capable of playing left-back and started his career as a holding midfielder.

The Netherlands international moved to England in 2011 at the age of 16, when Chelsea signed him from Feyenoord.

However, first team opportunities were limited and he embarked on several loan spells, first at Reading, before a season with Watford in 2015/16, when he won the Hornets’ Young Player of the Year award.

He joined Bournemouth on a six-month loan deal in 2016/17 and moved permanently for a club record fee the following summer.

Ake’s first campaign at the Etihad was hampered by muscular injuries and he was restricted to just 13 appearances.

He would suffer more frustrating injuries during 2021/22, but more than doubled his appearances from his first campaign with 27 and impressed whenever he featured.

Ake has again impressed so far during the 2022/23 campaign both with his consistency and adaptability at the back.

He maintained his fine form at the winter World Cup in Qatar, starting all five of the Netherlands’ games as they reached the quarter-finals before going out 4-3 on penalties to eventual champions Argentina.

Ake’s form in 2022/23 and particularly post-World Cup, was outstanding.

He scored his first Premier League goal in sky blue in our 3-0 win over West Ham in May, two weeks prior to City being crowned Premier League champions for a third consecutive season. 

Ake won his first FA Cup trophy after City defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in June. 

And to top off his best season for City, he won his first Champions League trophy with the Club as he featured for the entirety of our 1-0 win over Inter in June 2023.

Ake had an impressive start to the 2023/24 season as he featured for the entirety of City’s Super Cup win over Sevilla to see us win the showpiece for the first time in the Club’s history. 

Nathan was also part of the City squad who claimed the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2023 and remained at the forefront of Pep’s plans as he made 44 appearances in total in 2023/24, with City eventually lifting yet another Premier League.

A difficult 2024/25 for City was echoed in Ake’s fortunes, with the Dutch defender only able to make 20 appearances due to injury.