Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Newcastle United might have to move on from Nathan Ake after hearing how much he would cost them.
There were reports stating that Nathan Ake was one of the top targets for Premier League side Newcastle United in January, and the interest in him from the Magpies has continued ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, there have been reports stating that Ake would cost Eddie Howe £50 million if he wanted to bring the Dutch defender to St James’s Park, and with the reported budget of Newcastle being £60 million, it would see a large chunk of the budget gone if they were to complete the deal.
Despite Newcastle reportedly showing interest in Ake, Jones has claimed to GiveMeSport that they will have to look elsewhere due to the asking price from Manchester City.
“It’s not ideal, that’s for sure, and certain sources I’ve seen are playing that down as well.
“But he’s been a target for the best part of six months to a year, and they’ve had him on their radar. They definitely didn’t expect him to be coming in at that sort of money, though. It means they’re going to have to move on,” Jones said.
Do you think Ake will join Newcastle?Yes
No
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TIF Thoughts on Jones’ comments…
Ake was out of favour for Manchester City last season, he made just 14 appearances in the Premier League during City’s title-winning season, so he might be interested in leaving the club to get regular game time.
However, clubs that are interested such as Newcastle might be scared off due to the price tag set by City, and this could be an indication that he might be ready to play a more involved role at the club next season.
Newcastle had a strong end to the season, which meant that they finished 11th in the Premier League, and Eddie Howe will be keen to build their squad for next season, but he might have to seek a new defender if City aren’t willing to budge on their asking price for Ake.