Everton to miss out on Nathan Ake market opportunity after Barcelona latest
Everton have been linked with Nathan Ake for quite a long time, with the first reports of a potential move to the Hill Dickinson emerging last summer.
As Jarrad Branthwaite picked up a hamstring injury early in the season, David Moyes looked to add another defender to his ranks.
Ake, who has been out of favour at the Etihad, was one of the names that propped up, with the Blues even working on that deal at one stage.
However, the Dutchman would ultimately stay at Man City, but the links did not stop heading into January.
It would not be a shock to see Everton move again for Ake in the upcoming summer window, but things may now be complicated with Barcelona looking to get involved.
Barcelona eyeing summer move for Everton target Nathan Ake
Everton’s move for Ake could hit a stumbling block, as Barcelona are now looking at the possibility of signing the 31-year-old.
According to 3Cat’s Barça Reservat via SPORT, Ake is a player who is of high interest to Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco.
The Dutch defender has been described as a “valuable market opportunity” for the La Liga side, whose financial struggles have been publicly reported on.
Now, Moyes could be set to miss out on one of his long-term targets, as there are plenty of reasons why Everton should drop out of the race.
Why Everton may find it tough to beat Barcelona to Ake signing
Moyes’ side have also been linked with a move for Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, but once more, they face a battle against multiple clubs to sign him.
Ake has been tipped as the perfect alternative for Everton, but that could end up biting the Blues in the back now.
Everton are a big club themselves, but there are few that could seriously debate whether they are bigger than Barcelona.
They would need to offer something quite special to convince the treble-winning defender to move to Merseyside.
The Blaugrana are constantly qualified for the Champions League, whereas Everton have not been in any European competition since 2017-2018.
If the Blues can manage to reach that feat this season, it could give them a slim chance of landing Ake in the summer.
However, as things stand, you would suspect the Catalan club would be leading the race.
It is clear that the Toffees are looking to add another central defender to their ranks, but in the case of Ake, they should not risk leaving themselves short.
If Everton look to go in for the Man City man, and Barcelona look to do the same, the L3 outfit could end up wasting crucial time in the summer transfer window.
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