Manchester City have confirmed Nathan Aké's exit to Fenerbahçe after a messy 24-hour announcement race. Fenerbahçe announced the move on Friday before City made their own official confirmation, and the club's statement said Aké is leaving after six years at the Etihad Stadium.
City also thanked him for 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup and two FA Cups. The size of the move, reported at around £7m and potentially rising to £8.5m, helps explain why both sides wanted to get their version out quickly.
The announcement race
The confusion is the story here. Fenerbahçe went first with a statement saying the club had reached an agreement with Aké and signed a contract with him, while City's own release came later and framed the move as a farewell after six years in Manchester.
That means the public order did not match the final official order, even if the transfer itself was moving forward. City did not present it as a completed deal before Fenerbahçe spoke, which is why the timing drew attention in the first place.
What Aké leaves behind
For City, Aké departs from a squad that still finished second in the Premier League with 78 points from 38 games and conceded 35 goals across the league season. He was part of a defence that stayed competitive even without everything being perfect, and the club's farewell made clear how much they valued his role in six years at the Etihad.
Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, are bringing in an experienced defender after finishing 19th in the UEFA Europa League with 12 points from 8 games. The club have their new signing. City have their goodbye. The awkward part was getting there in the right order.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →