Man City blindsided as Fenerbahce declare Nathan Ake deal done

Manchester City have been left surprised after Fenerbahce publicly announced they had agreed a deal to sign defender Nathan Ake, despite the Premier League club insisting no such agreement is actually in place. The Turkish side, who finished as SuperLig runners-up last season, released a statement claiming the Netherlands international had already signed a contract with them.

According to The Independent, City’s position is markedly different. The club say talks with Fenerbahce remain ongoing and positive, but no transfer has yet been finalised, with the two clubs still working towards a fee understood to be around £7 million, potentially rising to £8.5 million with add-ons.

Fenerbahce’s confident announcement

Fenerbahce’s statement left little room for ambiguity from their side. “Our club has reached an agreement with and signed a contract with Nathan Ake, a player for the Dutch national team,” the club said, as reported by The Independent.

The statement added: “Ake, who has been playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will join our team at the Austrian training camp after his leave of absence.” That timeline suggests the Turkish club expect the defender to link up with them for pre-season training once his World Cup commitments with the Netherlands come to an end.

City’s more cautious stance highlights a clear disconnect between the two parties over how advanced negotiations actually are, even as Fenerbahce move to present the deal as a formality.

Why City are ready to sell

Ake joined City from Bournemouth for £41 million back in 2021 and has since made 177 appearances for the club, scoring ten goals. He was a key figure during the historic treble-winning campaign of 2022-23 and featured prominently again the following season.

His playing time has diminished significantly since, however. Despite making 32 appearances last season, he started just six Premier League matches, though he was handed a starting role in the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal.

With Josko Gvardiol having signed a new contract, Marc Guehi arriving in January, Abdukodir Khusanov continuing to improve and Ruben Dias remaining at the Etihad Stadium, Ake would face being fifth-choice centre-back at City next season. He is also entering the final year of his contract, making this summer effectively City’s last opportunity to recoup a transfer fee for him.

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