Manchester City

Manchester City: Journalist claims Guardiola won’t stand in the way of defensive exit

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TalkSport reporter Alex Crook has claimed that Pep Guardiola won’t stand in the way of Nathan Ake’s potential departure this summer.

The defender has been linked with a move to Chelsea alongside teammate Raheem Sterling. The duo both look set to depart the Manchester club in favour of a London move this summer.

As of right now, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph, Chelsea looks like the likely destination for both players. From Manchester City’s perspective, although they will be making some money back from summer incomings, they will be strengthening a top-six rival with two players with Premier League-winning experience.

Speaking on TalkSport, Crook said“I think he’s been told that if the money is right and he wants to seek a new challenge, then Pep Guardiola won’t stand in the way of someone who is no more than a squad player with the champions.”

The departure would certainly make sense with the World Cup coming up at the end of this year. Ake will be well aware of the importance of game time ahead of a big international tournament, and he has never been guaranteed weekly starts at Manchester City.

TIF Thoughts on Ake…

Ake may consider his time at Manchester City a disappointment after struggling to ever become a consistent starter. In the 2020/21 season, the Dutchman made just 10 Premier League appearances.

Of course, City may be concerned that a squad player is potentially leaving, resulting in less depth in the centre-back position. But if the right offer comes in for a player who is not a regular starter, it seems likely that City will accept it, based on Crook’s comments.

And while this may strengthen Chelsea, receiving a sizeable sum for a player sporadically used by the club at times may help City to strengthen further, with the Citizens hardly ever short of cash themselves in the first place.

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