Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City travel to the North East to face high-flying Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
Pep Guardiola’s side endured a season to forget last term, and a slow start to this season suggested they would once again miss out on the top flight title.
A run of six consecutive victories – and 11 wins in 13 – has revitalised City’s chances of winning the title, however, with the Citizens now just two points behind leaders Arsenal, who face third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.
Away from the action, it has now emerged that one member of Guardiola’s squad has rejected a proposed move to another Premier League club.
As per TEAMtalk, City defender Nathan Ake has snubbed the chance to join struggling West Ham United on loan for the remainder of the current campaign.
The Dutchman joined City from Bournemouth back in 2020, having previously graduated through Chelsea’s fruitful academy.
Ake looks set to leave Man City next year (Photo: MI News & Sport/Alamy)
Since moving to The Etihad, Ake has made more than 150 appearances across all competitions and lifted no fewer than ten trophies including the Champions League and four Premier League titles.
However, the versatile defender – who can play centrally or as a left-back – has fallen somewhat out of favour this term, starting just one of City’s 18 league games thus far.
The report claims that the Netherlands international is keen to play more regularly during the second half of the season in order to ensure he is selected for his country’s squad for the World Cup next year.
Guardiola is said to be aware that he cannot give Ake assurances over his playing time, but it isn’t yet clear whether or not the player will be allowed to leave Manchester next month.
While the Hammers made contact with the player in order to gauge whether or not he would be open to an initial loan move with an obligation-t0-buy clause, the player himself is said to have informed the club that he has no intention of a move to The London Stadium.