Transfer Rumors: Manchester City Plans To Revisit Nathan Ake Status, Hoping For Lower Fee

KEY POINTS

Manchester City is looking to infuse new defenders this summer
The Sky Blues are hoping for a slightly lowered fee for Nathan Ake
Pep Guardiola is looking for the right players to play midfield next season

Manchester City is looking to add more defenders moving forward. One player they are reportedly planning to check out once more is Nathan Ake of Bournemouth.

Last time around, the asking fee for the Dutch player was pegged at $51 million. But with the Cherries out of contention, the Sky Blues want to know if the price for Ake may have lowered.

Just last week, there were talks between City and the Cherries over Ake. Unless Bournemouth changes its stance, the asking fee for the Dutch player remains, Sky Sports reported.

It remains to be seen if City will bite, assuming the Cherries stand firm on their asking price. Manchester City is expected to offload some of its players, such as Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones.

Otamendi has drawn interest from Real Betis. Stones has been tied to a possible move to either Arsenal or Chelsea. There was no mention of how much City would get from the transfer of the two players if it progresses.

Bournemouth dropped out of the Premier League following a loss to Everton. They finished the season 18th. The Cherries struggled since the end of November and were only able to pick up three wins and three draws following a win over Manchester United eight months ago, Eurosport reported.

The need to shore up its defensive line has been going on for some time now. Pep Guardiola has been on the prowl for new midfielders after failing to get anything going with the current crop. Ake, if the deal pushes through, would be a great addition. Not only can he play the left-back, but he is also homegrown.

Ake has gotten his share of suitors this season. The 25-year-old has played 121 games with the Cherries and scored 11 times.

Aside from Ake, City has been linked to other midfielders in the market. Kalidou Koulibaly has been singled out as a target, someone S.S.C. Napoli is open to selling. However, he will not come cheap as well. Gli Azzurri is seeking $81 million in exchange for the 29-year-old player.

But like Ake, Koulibaly also has his share of suitors. Also keen on getting the Senegal player are Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona.

But as mentioned in a previous report, Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli said that they have not received any formal offers for Koulibaly.