[Saba Sports News] Manchester City released an official statement confirming that 31-year-old Dutch international centre-back Nathan Aké has ended his six-year stint with the Blues to complete a transfer to Fenerbahçe. A day earlier, Fenerbahçe announced an agreement with Aké out of the blue, catching all transfer journalists off guard.
Aké still had one year remaining on his Manchester City contract, with top clubs such as Inter Milan widely rumoured as his likely next destination. Fans never expected the prime-age City stalwart to depart Europe’s top five leagues at this stage of his career. According to reports from British media, the fixed transfer fee for Aké stands at £7 million, alongside £1.5 million in add-ons, bringing the total maximum fee to £8.5 million – a bargain basement price.
The Blues signed the Dutch defender from Bournemouth for a €45.3 million transfer fee in the summer of 2020. Across six seasons at the club, Aké made 177 appearances, registering 10 goals and 3 assists, and claimed a total of 12 trophies. His haul includes the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two League Cups and one Community Shield.
In my view, over his six years at Manchester City, Aké saw a sharp drop in game time in his later seasons due to fitness issues and fierce squad competition. Even so, as Pep Guardiola’s most reliable all-purpose defensive utility man, his tactical value and emotional bond with the club far outweigh the profit or loss shown on the transfer balance sheet.