Fenerbahce announce agreement with Man City to sign Nathan Ake in £7M deal | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Nathan Ake is set to join Fenerbahce on a permanent deal, with the Turkish club announcing an agreement for the Netherlands international’s signature as the fee is finalised in the region of £7 million plus add-ons, as per a new report.

Ake joined Manchester City from Bournemouth and went on to become a reliable defensive option under Pep Guardiola, with the Netherlands international’s left-footed profile, composure in possession and physicality making him a trusted squad member across several campaigns at the Etihad Stadium.

His departure represents one of the more significant exits of the summer for director of football Hugo Viana, who has been tasked with reshaping the defensive unit inherited by Enzo Maresca following a summer in which the backline has been subject to considerable scrutiny and change.

Ake featured for the Netherlands at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America, with Maresca understood to have studied footage of the defender during his journey to the North-West on his first day as Manchester City manager – though it now appears that assessment has not altered the outcome of a move that had been in the works for some time.

Fenerbahce’s social media announcement of an agreement confirms that the Turkish side have secured Ake’s commitment at a personal terms level, with the formal completion of the deal now resting on the finalisation of the fee structure between the two clubs.

Fenerbahce announce Nathan Ake agreement as Man City talks over fee continue

According to Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, Manchester City are still in the process of negotiating a fee with Fenerbahce, with the deal expected to land in the region of £7 million plus £1.5 million in add-ons – a total potential package of £8.5 million for a player who was among the more established defenders within the squad.

Gaughan confirms that Ake himself has agreed to join the Turkish club, with the personal terms element of the move resolved ahead of the inter-club fee negotiations reaching a conclusion, a sequencing that is consistent with how Fenerbahce have been able to confirm an agreement publicly while the financial details continue to be worked through.

The fee, if finalised as reported, would represent a modest but understandable return for a defender operating at the latter stages of his career at the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester City’s priority this summer having been the freeing up of wages and squad places rather than maximising transfer income from outgoings.

Fenerbahce, who have been active in the European market throughout the summer, will regard Ake as a signing who brings both experience at the highest level and the technical qualities demanded by their style of play, with the Netherlands international’s record of performing consistently in the Premier League adding credibility to the appointment.

What does Ake’s departure mean for Man City’s defensive rebuild?

The exit of Ake creates further room in a defensive unit that Viana and Maresca have been looking to reshape throughout the summer, with the futures of several other defensive players at the Etihad Stadium still to be fully resolved as the window progresses.

Questions over Ruben Dias and the search for a long-term successor to John Stones have framed much of the discussion around Manchester City’s defensive plans this summer, with Ake’s departure adding to the sense that Maresca will begin his first season in charge with a considerably refreshed backline rather than the one Guardiola left behind.

Whether City move to recruit a direct replacement for Ake in the remaining weeks of the window, or absorb his absence within an existing defensive pool supplemented by other incoming additions, remains one of the outstanding questions of the summer for Viana as he continues to balance the competing demands of the rebuild at the Etihad Stadium.

The completion of Ake’s move to Istanbul would mark a respectful end to his time in Manchester, with the Netherlands international having given consistent, professional service across his years at the club – and with the opportunity now presenting itself to take on a fresh challenge at a club with genuine ambitions of competing at the highest level of European football.