Same agent as Gerrard: Lange handed green light to bring 'fantastic' £22.5m-rated ace to Villa

Aston Villa are keen on signing Manchester City defender Nathan Ake and the player will be allowed to leave the Etihad, according to 90min.

Ake, capable of playing as a centre-back or left-back, made the move to the Etihad Stadium from Bournemouth back in 2020 and is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

The 27-year-old has only managed 40 appearances in his two years under Pep Guardiola, though, making just ten Premier League starts last season.

Ake, who Virgil van Dijk described as ‘fantastic’, actually shares the same agency as Steven Gerrard, and it looks as if Villa are open to bringing the Dutch defender to the Midlands.

According to 90min, Manchester City have decided to allow Ake to leave this summer, with a number of sides interested in the defender they spent £41m on.

One of those teams is thought to be Villa, with City favouring a permanent exit for the centre-back over the coming months.

Villa are short of left-back options after Matt Targett completed a permanent move to Newcastle. Ashley Young is also yet to sign a new deal, leaving Lucas Digne as the only senior option.

Bringing Ake to Villa Park would bolster Gerrard’s left-back ranks, while also adding a high-quality centre-back option.

However, Villa have already signed a centre-back this summer in Diego Carlos and now have five on the books, so one may have to make way if the club want to bring in Ake.

Source