Manchester City’s demand effectively kills Barcelona’s hopes of signing Dutch defender

Barcelona’s already complicated search for defensive reinforcements in January appears to have suffered another setback, with a report from SPORT pointing towards what is effectively the end of the road in their pursuit of Nathan Ake.

Ake had emerged as a serious option for Barcelona as they explored short-term solutions to reinforce the back line. 

The Dutch international is open to leaving Manchester City, and the idea of playing for Barça was particularly appealing to him. 

From a sporting perspective, his profile ticked many boxes. Ake is left-footed, comfortable as a centre-back, and capable of filling in at left-back when required, an attribute that adds tactical flexibility.

As such, he has never fully nailed down a starting role under Pep Guardiola, even though his performances with the Netherlands show that he can still operate at a high international level. 

For Barcelona, this combination of experience and versatility made him an attractive name in a market with limited options.

Problem for Barcelona

The problem, however, lies in the financial and competitive reality of the operation. 

Barcelona are effectively out of the race for Nathan Ake. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

According to the outlet, several Premier League clubs have already enquired about Ake, pushing his price up and complicating any potential deal. 

Manchester City would be willing to let him leave, but only if an offer exceeds €25 million. 

With the defender’s contract running until 2027, City see this as the ideal moment to secure a definitive sale rather than wait and risk losing leverage.

For Barcelona, that figure represents a major obstacle. Operating under strict financial controls and uncertainty around their salary cap, committing to a deal of that size in January is extremely difficult. 

As things stand, meeting City’s demands would effectively rule Barça out of the race, even though the club are aware that situations can evolve rapidly in the final days of the transfer window.

Internally, Barcelona remain clear about their priorities. Strengthening the defence is seen as essential, but there is no consensus on the exact profile as of today.