Club Announces Signing of Man City Star — But Haven’t Settled on Transfer Fee Yet
A club has announced they’ve signed a Manchester City player – even though they haven’t agreed on the transfer fee yet.
It’s been a busy summer so far for Manchester City, with lots of players coming in and going out. Enzo Maresca has taken over the challenge of leading the team after Pep Guardiola’s amazing 10 years at the Etihad Stadium.
Elliot Anderson has moved to City from Nottingham Forest for a British record £116 million. He’s been joined by Mathys Detourbet, who arrived from Troyes for £21 million but was quickly loaned out to Monaco.
City are expected to keep working on signings for the rest of the transfer window. At the same time, they’re also saying goodbye to some key players. Bernardo Silva and John Stones left the club on free transfers at the end of June, after emotional goodbyes.
Now Nathan Ake is also leaving. Ake, who played for the Netherlands at the World Cup, only started six Premier League games last season as he fell out of favor under Guardiola.
The 31-year-old has been linked with a move for a while. With his contract running until June 2027, now seemed like the right time for City to sell him after six years with the club.
Fenerbahce were the front runners to sign the Dutch defender and have now confirmed they’ve signed him. Oddly, according to BBC Radio Manchester’s Mark Crossley, Fenerbahce announced the signing before a final deal was agreed. The two clubs are still working out the details, with the fee expected to be around £7 million, possibly rising to £8.5 million.
Fenerbahce’s official account posted: “Our club has reached an agreement with Nathan Aké, a Netherlands National Team player, and he has signed a contract with us. Following the necessary approvals, he will join our team during the Austria training camp. We wanted to inform the public about this.”
Ake has had a great career at City, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, playing 177 times. This announcement suggests he’s played his last game for City.
While he didn’t play much last season, Ake was important during City’s dominant years, showing his skill both as a centre-back and left-back. Guardiola has often praised Ake, calling him “so reliable” and an “exceptional person,” even remembering Ake’s late parents with respect.
With Ake leaving after the World Cup, Maresca now has Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Marc Guehi as his main defenders.