Many of the Manchester City players who lifted the Champions League in 2023 have departed or are leaving the club this summer. Nathan Ake can now be added to this list, with The Athletic reporting that he is expected to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Key players of City's triumph from three years ago, including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ederson, have already gone. Jack Grealish is now on loan at Everton. Whilst John Stones' future at the club is also uncertain. There are even rumors that this could be Pep Guardiola's final season at the Etihad. Ake, who started the final in a back three alongside Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias, has been a great servant to City.
The Dutchman came through the ranks at Chelsea after also spending time with Feyenoord and ADO Den Haag in his youth. However, like many who come through the Blues' academy, they are overlooked as the club signs big-name players. Ake played just 17 times for Chelsea's first team and was sent on loan to Reading, Watford, and AFC Bournemouth. He then joined the Cherries permanently before joining City.
Is this the end of an era at Manchester City?
He went on to have tremendous success at City, winning the Premier League four times, the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, and, of course, the Champions League. Winning European soccer's biggest prize would have been particularly sweet for Ake, as he was on the bench for City in the 2021 final when they lost to his former club Chelsea.
In total, Ake has played 174 times for City, scoring 10 goals with three assists. However, this season, he has featured just 15 times in the Premier League. His contract expires in 2027, but he is already being linked with clubs across Europe.
Bayer Leverkusen and Besiktas are both reportedly options for Ake. Joining the Bundesliga side would appear to be the better option as they are in one of Europe's top five leagues. They are currently sixth in the Bundesliga, so they should at least be playing in the Europa League next season. Whilst they still have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Besiktas is one of the biggest clubs in Turkey, but they are currently fourth in the Super Lig. This would qualify them for the Europa Conference League. However, there is a chance that they could finish below Turkey's final European qualifying spot as İstanbul Başakşehir and Goztepe are hot on their heels.
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