“A nice ending” – Nathan Aké drops major Man City exit hint amid transfer interest | OneFootball

Manchester City’s long-standing defensive option Nathan Ake has hinted at an exit from the Etihad Stadium at the end of the ongoing season.

Aké has played a senior leadership role for Manchester City during the ongoing 2025/26 campaign, whilst also providing the option of tactical flexibility across 27 appearances as Pep Guardiola continues to evolve his defensive structure.

While his Premier League starts have been more sporadic due to the emergence of Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guéhi supporting Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol at various points in the season, Aké remained an undisputed cup name, starting every match of the successful Carabao Cup run.

His season reached a high point in Sunday’s 0-2 Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal, where he was drafted into the starting line-up following a hamstring injury to Ruben Dias. Partnering Khusanov at the heart of defence, Aké delivered a stellar performance to neutralise the Gunners’ attack including Viktor Gyökeres en route to major silverware.

What has Nathan Ake said about his Man City future?

Speaking during a new interview with Algemeen Dagblad upon joining up with the Netherlands national team for the March international break, Nathan Ake opened up on conversations with Pep Guardiola at Wembley, his future, and the season as a whole.

“He said he was super proud of me,” Ake revealed on his post-match discussions with Guardiola after winning the Carabao Cup with Manchester City against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The central defender, who completed the full 90 minutes against Mikel Arteta’s side continued, “He said he was super proud of me. And that I played a top match. We have been through so much together in the last six years.”

When pressed for an update on his Etihad Stadium future, amid growing doubts over what could come next for him, Ake said, “I have no idea, but winning the Carabao would certainly be a nice ending.”

“Due to the arrival of many new players, things went more ‘up and down’ this season,” Ake explained when asked for his thoughts on the ongoing campaign.

“We had to get to know each other, feel comfortable in a different playing style, and get used to a new coach [Pep Lijnders]. Things are starting to click now, although we need to become more consistent.”

What could come next for Nathan Ake at Man City?

Nathan Aké’s future at the Etihad Stadium appears to be at a crossroads as he enters the final 12 months of his contract, which is currently set to expire in June 2027.

Despite his standout performance in the 2026 Carabao Cup final, Manchester City may be open to a summer sale to facilitate a further lowering of the squad’s average age, especially following the successful integration of younger defenders like Marc Guéhi and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Serie A clubs alongside Barcelona have been tipped as potential suitors when the summer transfer window re-opens, viewing the 31-year-old as a potential senior leader profile, despite Aké publicly stating his happiness at the club.