Man City beat Chelsea, Man Utd to centre-back with £41m fee agreed
Man City have seemingly ended their chase for a new centre-half at the expense of Chelsea and Man Utd after the club had a £41m bid accepted for Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake.
That is according to The Mirror (who cite the BBC), with Ake set to become the first high-profile departure from the newly-relegated Cherries.
City had long been rumoured to be targeting central defensive reinforcements in the current window.
A host of superstar names had previously been touted, including an ambitious swoop for one of the world’s leading defenders.
Aymeric Laporte’s lengthy injury hampered their defensive solidity, while Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones fell below par in the Spaniard’s absence.
Fernandinho was often played out of position, and even youngster Eric Garcia was given an extended run in the team.
But now it appears Dutchman Ake will be the man tasked with shoring up City’s defence.
The 25-year-old had previously been linked with a return to former club Chelsea, along with tentative speculation surrounding Man Utd.
City had emerged as the front runners, however, and according to The Mirror, it is ‘only a matter of time’ before the deal is completed.
The deal is reportedly worth a guaranteed £40million to the relegated Cherries, potentially rising by a further £1million.
One curiosity stems from the fact Ake and Laporte are both primarily left-footed. Though at £41m, Guardiola will be expected to find a way to include both in his starting line-ups.
City agree deal for Sane replacement
Meanwhile, Man City have reportedly concluded their search to find a replacement for Leroy Sane.
City recently said goodbye to Sane, as the winger returned to Germany to join Bayern Munich. But with their Champions League ban overturned, they have quickly shifted focus to attracting a replacement.
The player it appears they are about to sign has been in demand for several months. Valencia’s Ferran Torres made 34 appearances in the recently completed La Liga season, and has attracted interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.
The latter had reportedly identified Torres as a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho. However, their rivals have stolen a march on them.