Newcastle United transfer target Nathan Ake has cleared up the rumours surrounding his imminent future with current club Manchester City, insisting he has no ambitions to leave the Premier League champions.
Ake, 27, had been a rumoured target for the Magpies this summer, as Eddie Howe looks to further bolster his playing squad heading into the 22/23 campaign. Both the Blues defender and Sven Botman were touted as potential options.
However, despite his relatively small amount of game time last campaign, starting just 10 domestic encounters for Pep Guardiola's side, the former Chelsea man had vowed he is firmly set on remaining in the north west and hopes to feature even more next season.
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Winning back-to-back league titles with City, Ake moved from Bournemouth back in 2020 for a rumoured fee of £41million. Newcastle have said to be in the market for a new centre back this summer, with Ake seemingly now ruling himself out of a move away from the Etihad.
He told NOS: "Last season was very unhappy due to injuries, I don't really count that year. This season I was really 100 per cent present and I played more. You notice an improvement in yourself, how you play. I felt good.
Continuing on, the 27-year-old was quick to quash any ongoing transfer talk, as he stated: "I will go into the season with that intention. I will do everything I can to play even more."
With new Sporting Director Dan Ashworth now firmly on the scene, the Magpies will be hoping to use the 51-year-old's expertise to analyse the market upon the opening of the upcoming window. With many names linked, Howe is again tasked with correctly adding the right type of player this summer.
