Manchester City defender Nathan Ake was surprised to learn of Kyle Walker’s wish leave at the Etihad Stadium and admitted his teammate’s departure would have a “massive” impact on the team.
Pep Guardiola broke the news of Walker’s intention to move abroad for the final years of his career after City beat Salford City 8-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday evening.
The defending Premier League champions fielded a young line-up for the third round, with Ake the only senior centre-back to start. Walker was conspicuous by his absence and Guardiola later explained: “I prefer to play against other players whose thoughts are here.”
Ake was taken aback when his manager’s comments were leaked to him after the game and composed himself before praising his “legendary” teammate. “He’s huge for us,” the Dutch defender told reporters, “has been huge for us over the years. He is also a big character in the squad this year. He deserves a lot of praise for all the years he was a top player for this club.”
Walker has captained City regularly this season and Ake was asked about the Englishman’s leadership qualities. “It’s huge,” admitted the 29-year-old. “He is a big player for us, a big character. Also a good guy, I get along very well with him. Let’s see what happens. There’s no doubt he was a tremendous player for us.”
City are ready to sign some defensive players in the January transfer window. Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov is close to completing a £33.6m deal, while Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis could also be on his way to East Manchester.
News of Walker’s departure may have come as a shock, but Ake had faith in City’s recruitment department. “The club knows what it is doing,” he emphasized. “They are trying to help the team and get us back to where we belong. Hopefully it will be good when it happens.”