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Manchester City defender Nathan Ake is currently attracting transfer interest from fellow Premier League club side Chelsea, as seen in the Daily Mail.
The London club are currently keen on reuniting with their former player as they aim to strengthen their defense ahead of next season.
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Ake joined Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side in the summer of 2020 for a fee in the region of £41 million. The Dutch defender has gone on to make 40 appearances in all competitions for the Citizens.
Although he hasn't been able to cement a regular starting spot in the team, Ake has proved decent in the games he has played. He has also been able to score a total of four goals from defense for the Citizens.
However, it is up to his club to decide if they will sell him this summer. As seen in Sports Illustrated, Manchester City will want a fee close to the £41 million from Chelsea for Ake before a deal can be struck.
Should the Dutch player eventually leave for Chelsea this summer, it could create a vacuum in defense for Manchester City. This could make the Citizens sign a replacement for the 27-year-old defender.
As such, this article will take a look at three possible centre-backs that Manchester City could attempt to sign for replacing Ake this summer.
#3 Joško Gvardiol
One defender who could be a decent replacement for Ake at Manchester City would be RB Leipzig player Joško Gvardiol.
The 20-year-old centre-back is regarded as one of the best young defenders in the Bundesliga and also in Europe. Gvardiol has played a combined total of 45 games for RB Leipzig so far.
The young Croatian will be a decent addition to Guardiola's defensive set-up as he is a ball-playing defender just like Ake. He is also very versatile and can operate as a centre-back and a left-back.
Gvardiol is also a natural left-footed centre-back just like Ake, which makes him an almost like-for-like replacement. He is also strong on and off the ball and commands a huge aerial presence in defense.
The 20-year-old defender played a total of 29 Bundesliga games for RB Leipzig last season, scoring two goals and helping his team keep eight clean sheets.
#2 Pau Torres
Another defender who could be a decent replacement for Ake should he eventually leave Manchester City this summer is Pau Torres of Villarreal.
The Spanish defender is one of the top-rated centre-backs in La Liga. Torres has been a top performer in the league for the past three seasons and was the highest scoring defender last campaign with five goals.
He is also a natural left-footed defender just like Ake, who would be suited for the left-centre-back position at Manchester City.
Torres made a combined total of 47 appearances for Villarreal during the 2021-22 football campaign. He scored six goals and helped the Yellow Submarines keep 14 clean sheets in all competitions.
#1 Jules Kounde
The French defender is currently one of the most in-demand defenders in the summer transfer market, with interest from both Chelsea and Barcelona, as seen in Metro.
Kounde could be a possible option for Guardiola's team should they decide to find a replacement for Ake this summer.
The 23-year-old player is a very versatile defender who can operate in both a back-three and back-four system. He is also a ball-playing centre-back, which would suit Guardiola's possession-based system.
Kounde played a combined total of 44 games in all competitions for Sevilla last season, scoring three goals. He also helped the Rojiblancos keep 19 assists while conceding only 24 goals in La Liga.
