Ake Suggests Possible Departure from Manchester City Amid World Cup Aspirations

Nathan Ake has been informed that he may miss the Netherlands squad for the World Cup if he doesn’t secure more playing time at Manchester City.

This season, Ake has only started twice in the Premier League, with Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol often chosen ahead of him. The rise of Nico O’Reilly has further limited his opportunities at left-back, putting his position with the Netherlands at risk.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move away from Manchester City this month and acknowledged the pressure from the Dutch national team to increase his playing minutes.

Across the last 11 league matches, Ake has played just 21 minutes, remaining on the bench as an unused substitute eight times. His last full match was against Everton on October 18th.

The Netherlands have a strong defensive lineup, featuring Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, Micky Van de Ven, and Stefan de Vrij, increasing the competition for defensive positions.

In an interview with Simon Bajkowski from the Manchester Evening News, Ake mentioned his discussions with Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman.

“Ronald Koeman has told me several times that he wants me to play more. It’s tough to call me up if I’m not getting regular minutes, which is obvious,” he said. “Every player wants to be on the field as much as possible. All I can do is keep fighting for my place.”