Nathan Ake is set to sign a new long-term Manchester City contract after a defining season in which he has become a mainstay for the Premier League champions as they look to secure their third league title in succession.
Chris Bailey of The National, the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, reports that Ake is set to receive a new contract offer from the club that would keep him at the Etihad Stadium during his peak years after a stellar campaign that has laid the foundation for a treble hunt.
After signing from Bournemouth in 2020 for a reported £41 million, the Dutchman struggled for fitness and game time in his first campaign, and although this improved in his second season, it is really this season that he has become indispensable for Guardiola and the way the team has operated during the impressive winning and unbeaten run.
Chelsea were strongly interested in bringing the Dutchman back to Stamford Bridge in the summer, and City likely would have sold had the Londoners stumped up the asking fee, but the 28-year-old stuck around and has become imperative for City in their pursuit of three major honours, particularly after Joao Cancelo's loan departure to Bayern Munich.
The Portuguese's unexpected exit created a gaping hole within Guardiola's starting eleven, with Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva filling in at times on the left side of the defence, but it is Ake who has made the position his own, with his performances on the left flank coinciding with the club's upturn in performances.
Ake has impressed immensely at the heart of the defence, too, in what has been a fantastic overall season for the defender, and it is easy to see him being one of the first names on the team sheet for all the remaining big games in the season after he was pictured in training this afternoon following his recovery from a slight hamstring issue suffered in the second leg against Bayern Munich.
It is common for City to reward impressive performers with improved deals, and the news that Ake is set to sign a fresh deal with the Blues will be much welcomed by the fans and Guardiola, nearly twelve months after he was surrounded by intense speculation linking him with a move away.
Written by: @NA1907_
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