Nathan Ake looked to be on the brink of leaving Manchester City in the summer, but a late turnaround saw him enter his third season with the Blues.
He’s found consistent game time hard to come by at the Etihad, having to step back for the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and John Stones. His own injury problems haven’t helped and Manuel Akanji’s deadline day arrival looked ominous for the Dutchman.
But it’s precisely the setbacks Pep Guardiola has endured in defence that have allowed Ake’s summer decision to be proven right. His manager’s philosophy of retaining players in his line-up who haven’t let him down has seen Ake play in four of the last five Premier League games, starting and playing the whole 90 minutes in the last three.
