Following the World Cup in Qatar, Manchester City will be thrust into a busy schedule as 2023 begins.
With the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup all still up for grabs, the Blues will be battling on all fronts as the Christmas period begins in earnest. One man who will be coming out of the World Cup and into City's campaign full of confidence will be Nathan Ake.
Ake has played nearly every minute for the Netherlands so far this tournament in a strong back line which includes Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. Watching the 27-year-old's accomplished performances for his national team will no doubt be leaving a smile on the faces of City supporters.
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The centre-back has shown himself to be an asset for Louis van Gaal in the same way he is for Pep Guardiola. At £41m, Ake is proving to be a steal and is further proof that City do not waste their money.
Like his teammate Manuel Akanji, questions were asked about his purchase and where he would fit in the City setup. However, Ake and Akanji have answered those critics with the former proving how good a centre-back he is at the moment.
Ake's value will have increased during his stint in Qatar like Julian Alvarez's has during his Argentina spell and this has left Guardiola with a healthy selection dilemma. Should the Netherlands lose to Lionel Messi and co this evening, Ake would remain in a strong position to start for City against Liverpool in less than two weeks' time.
With Aymeric Laporte and Akanji already out of the tournament, City know that they will have at least two fully rested defenders for the return of competitive, domestic football. However, the longer Ake stays in Qatar, the higher the chance he has of rising up the pecking order at the Etihad.
He is proving in the Middle East that he can be relied upon in the big matches when needed. Laporte's lack of game time for the Blues since his knee injury has opened the door for another player to partner Ruben Dias at the back on those big European nights and Ake is showing that he can be trusted when it matters.
What has been to Ake's detriment when compared to the likes of John Stones, Dias, Laporte and Akanji, to a certain extent, is that he has not had that experience of high-pressure fixtures, especially due to the Netherlands' failures in recent years. The Dutch's return to prominence though has come to the benefit of the City man.
Guardiola now has five highly experienced centre-backs to choose from with a wealth of domestic and international experience. It is a headache but it is one which the Catalan coach will relish having.
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