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Barcelona are lining up a January move to shore up their back line, and they are keen on Nathan Ake from Manchester City.

The Catalan giants are weighing a loan for Manchester City’s Nathan Aké. Andreas Christensen’s injury has left a gap at centre-back, and Aké, a left-footed, versatile defender, has emerged as a leading option.

Man City could sell Nathan Ake

Manchester City are open to offers. With strong competition in Pep Guardiola’s defence, Aké’s minutes have been tight, so both loan and permanent bids will be considered in January.

Sources have informed CaughtOffside that Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Ham are also keen, with Premier League clubs seen as likelier to push for a permanent deal, while Barcelona’s priority is a loan.

Financially, City’s price for Aké is understood to be around €30–35 million. Barcelona’s room under Financial Fair Play is limited, making a loan with a purchase option the most realistic route.

Aké’s future will be decided in January, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

Can Barcelona sign Ake?

Nathan Ake of Manchester City claps the fans (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s loan approach will go head-to-head with permanent offers from England, and the outcome will hinge on the player’s preference and City’s plans at centre-back.

Manchester City might prefer to sell the player permanently. It would allow them to reinvest the money into the playing squad. They are in the middle of a title race, and they need to improve the team during the January window.

Arsenal are in superb form, and Manchester City need to raise their performance levels if they want to win the league title this season.

Meanwhile, Ake will be determined to play regularly as well. The opportunity to move to Barcelona could be exciting for the player, but he needs to choose his next destination carefully. If he is allowed regular game time in England, he should look to continue in the Premier League.