Transfer fee, farewell message, Hugo Viana reaction: Man City confirm Nathan Ake departure to Fenerbahce | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Nathan Ake has departed the Etihad Stadium to join Fenerbahce on a permanent basis, the Blues have confirmed.

Ake joined Manchester City from Bournemouth in 2020 and went on to establish himself as a reliable and versatile defensive option under Pep Guardiola, with the Dutchman’s left-footed composure, physicality and ability to play across the defensive line making him a useful squad asset across multiple 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 change and scrutiny from those overseeing the club’s rebuild.

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 Manchester on his first day as City manager – though it has now emerged that assessment did not alter the trajectory of a departure that had been in the works for some time.

The move to Istanbul brings down the curtain on a career at the Etihad Stadium that was not without its difficulties, but which ultimately produced a haul of honours that few players across European football can match – and which Ake himself has reflected on with considerable pride in the days surrounding his departure.

What is the transfer fee Fenerbahce have paid Man City for Nathan Ake?

According to Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, the fee for Ake is 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 senior defenders within the squad.

The fee, while modest in the context of a summer in which Manchester City have spent £116 million on Elliot Anderson alone, reflects both the defender’s age and the reality that Viana’s priority in managing outgoings this summer has been the freeing of wages and squad places rather than maximising transfer income from every departure.

Fenerbahce’s public announcement of an agreement confirms that the Turkish side have secured Ake’s commitment at the personal terms level – and a subsequent agreement between the two sides over a fee, which is yet to be extensively reported on in the English press.

The structure of the reported fee – a guaranteed base of £7 million with performance-related additions potentially taking the total to £8.5 million – is consistent with the kind of pragmatic, add-on-conscious approach City have applied across their early summer dealings.

Man City confirm Ake sale after premature Fenerbahce announcement

The move has been confirmed as a permanent transfer, with Ake signing a contract at the Turkish club and committing his future to Fenerbahce beyond the current summer window.

Fenerbahce, who have been active in the European market throughout the summer, will regard Ake as a signing who brings significant experience at the highest level of the game – though the duration of the centre-half’s contract in Turkey is unclear at present.

Ake’s record of competing across four Premier League title-winning campaigns at the Etihad Stadium offering clear evidence of the standards he has been accustomed to throughout his career.

City will always be special to me, says Ake in farewell interview

Speaking to Manchester City’s official channels upon his departure, Ake paid a heartfelt tribute to the club and the teammates who defined his time in Manchester.

“It’s been a privilege to represent Manchester City over the past six years and I’m so grateful to have been part of a special team,” said Ake. “I’ve grown so much here – as a player and person and I’m thankful for the time I’ve had at the club.”

“I’ll always cherish the memories, particularly winning the Treble, being part of all four Premier League titles in a side that made history and triumphing in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in my final season at the Club.

“While I’m moving on, I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved together and City will always be special to me.”

Hugo Viana: Ake “an outstanding, model professional” who set high standards at the CFA

In a separate statement, Viana paid tribute to Ake’s contribution both on the pitch and within the culture of the club’s training environment, reserving particular praise for the standards the departing defender set for those around him.

“There’s no doubt Nathan Ake has been a key part of our success over the past few years,” said the Portuguese executive. “Whenever he stepped onto the pitch, he always gave everything as well as being hugely dependable for the team.

“He’s also shown versatile qualities – arriving as a centre-back but excelling at left-back including in our Treble-winning season of 2022-23.

“At the training ground, he was an outstanding, model professional who set high standards for everyone and this has no doubt contributed to the environment we have now at the CFA. We’d like to thank Nathan for his many contributions and wish him the very best in his next chapter.”

The director of football’s reference to Ake’s influence on the standards within the City Football Academy is a telling one, with Viana having spoken throughout the summer about the importance of building a high-performance culture at the Etihad Stadium – and Ake’s departure leaving a void in that environment as much as on the pitch.

Whether City move to recruit a direct defensive replacement for Ake in the remaining weeks of the window, or absorb his absence within a pool supplemented by other incoming additions, remains one of the more pressing outstanding questions for Viana as the summer build-up to Maresca’s first season in charge continues apace.