Ligue 1 giants make late transfer approach for Manchester City defender | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Nathan Ake has received a late approach for his services from Ligue 1 giants AS Monaco this month, according to reports in France.

Over recent months, Aké has been linked with interest from a wide range of clubs across Europe, but despite sustained attention, Manchester City have continued to signal caution when it comes to any mid-season defensive departures.

Much speculation has been fuelled by Aké’s position in Guardiola’s defensive hierarchy amid competition from Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Abdukodir Khusanov, and most recently, Max Alleyne and Marc Guehi leading to suggestions the 30-year-old could explore opportunities offering more consistent playing time ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Reports at one stage this winter had even claimed Manchester City would be open to listening to offers in the region of €30–35 million in the right circumstances, though they have never actively pushed for his exit.

However, injuries to both Dias and Gvardiol during the 1-1 draw against Chelsea reinforced Guardiola’s reliance on other defenders.

And according to the information of L’Equipe, as translated and relayed by Get French Football News, AS Monaco remain in the market for a centre-back before the closure of the January transfer window, making it a key task for CEO Thiago Scuro.

The aforementioned French newspaper has claimed that the Principality club held talks to sign City’s Nathan Aké, however, the Dutchman is now not expected to make the move to the Stade Louis II, with such talks described as ‘brief and quickly abandoned’.

The update underlines just how difficult it would be for any club to prise Aké away from Manchester City; even if the player remains open to a move, his current club’s immediate sporting priorities clearly outweigh any short-term transfer considerations.

For Nathan Aké himself, while interest from across Europe highlights his continued reputation at the elite level, a January departure appears highly improbable with just days remaining in the winter market.

Attention is instead expected to shift toward the next summer transfer window, where Manchester City may weigh sporting stability against contract management and long-term squad evolution.