CM: Milan interested in Man City defender who wants more minutes – the obstacles

Nathan Ake has been linked with a move to AC Milan from Manchester City, but like with most other targets there are some hurdles to overcome.

Milan are in the market for a new central defender, one who can ideally bring experience of playing at the highest level, as well as versatility. The issue is that they do not want to spend big, so a low-cost or loan deal are therefore the only two options.

Massimiliano Allegri would prefer a player ready to contribute immediately, but the performances of Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic – along with De Winter’s growth in the last two matches – mean Milan’s intention is therefore not to make an investment just for the sake of it.

Ake on the radar

According to Calciomercato.com, Nathan Ake is one of the ‘opportunities’ that could arise to be seized, like Manuel Akanji was in the summer until he chose city rivals Inter.

The Dutch centre-back recently spoke to the Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, who explained to him the need to play more to go to the World Cup. Ake played just nine minutes in Manchester City’s last match against Chelsea and suffered a slight knee sprain.

It is the latest in a series of physical problems that have significantly affected him over the years. In an interview to the Manchester Evening News a few days ago, Ake confirmed the importance of getting enough playing time in this second half of the season in view of the World Cup.

“Coach Ronald Koeman has spoken to me a couple of times, explaining that I should play a bit more and that obviously it becomes difficult to be considered if I don’t play consistently. Every player wants to play as much as possible, and the only thing I can do is keep fighting for a place,” he said.

He’s in the sights of a number of Premier League clubs ready to take him into consideration, from Crystal Palace to Bournemouth (where he already played from January 2016 to May 2020), plus West Ham and Fulham.

Aside from the Carabao Cup, Aké has only been a starter under Pep Guardiola on three occasions between the league and the Champions League. In total, he’s played 322 minutes in the Premier League and 103 minutes in Europe.

The former Feyenoord player is under contract with Manchester City until the summer of 2027 and earns €5.4m net. This is a significant figure for any club outside of the Premier League, which has greater financial resources.

Another aspect to consider is City and Guardiola’s willingness to allow Aké to leave at a time of serious defensive crisis. After the Chelsea game, Pep said: “We’ve got a lot of injuries right now. I don’t know how many months Stones will be out, we can’t count on Ruben Dias and Gvardiol right now, and we know Aké isn’t always available.”

So, just like the pursuit of Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, it seems that the Rossoneri will have to work on the salary aspect and convincing the other club to let a player go in a time of struggle.