Pep Guardiola pleads with Ronald Koeman to take special care of the Manchester City star he needs

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is aiming to emulate his club’s rival Manchester United by winning the Premier League title, Champions League and FA Cup this season.

Nathan Ake is one of Manchester City’s most important players this season(fake images)

Pep Guardiola called Ronald Koeman to wish him a happy birthday and took advantage of the conversation to beg the boss of the Netherlands to take care of Nathan Ake.

Koeman, the Manchester City manager’s former Barcelona teammate, received a phone call from Guardiola as he celebrated his 60th birthday last Tuesday, but acknowledged that the Catalan had an ulterior motive. Ake has become a regular in City’s treble-seeking squad this season. Koeman said: “I got a call from my friend Pep on my birthday this week.

“Pep wished me a happy birthday, but very quickly he also asked me if he could watch out for Nathan Ake because he needs it, and I can understand why.

“Nathan is the absolute example of a player who has developed at the highest level. He has done very well and has become a really important player for both the Netherlands and Manchester City. I am proud of Nathan. He is very important and is a great defender now.”

Ake has made 32 appearances in all competitions for City this season, with many of those appearances coming at left-back. Guardiola has fallen short in that position after the transfer of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal and the loan of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich.

Ake, who started his career at Chelsea, joined City in the summer of 2020 following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship. The 28-year-old struggled for minutes during his first two seasons at the Etihad, playing just 24 times in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola asked his former Barcelona teammate Ronald Koeman for a favor(fake images)

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However, Ake has become a senior player for Guardiola thanks to his versatility and ability on the ball. The defender, who is a centre-back by trade, has 35 Dutch senior caps under his belt and previously represented the likes of Reading and Watford.

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