Nathan Aké has thanked Manchester City and the fans in an emotional message on social media. The Dutch defender is now under contract with Fenerbahçe, after playing for Man City since 2020.s
Nathan Aké says emotional goodbye to Manchester City after Fenerbahçe move
Nathan Aké has said an emotional goodbye to Manchester City and the club supporters after leaving England to continue his career with Fenerbahçe. The Dutch defender, who had been at City since 2020, shared a personal message on social media in which he reflected not only on the trophies he won, but also on the life he built in Manchester away from football.
The 31-year-old has now signed for Fenerbahçe, bringing an end to a successful and meaningful spell at the Etihad Stadium. Aké played 177 matches for Manchester City and became part of one of the most dominant periods in the history of the club. During his time in Manchester, he won 12 trophies, including 4 Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Those numbers alone show how successful his time at City was, but Aké made it clear in his farewell message that the club meant far more to him than medals and matches. For the Netherlands international, Manchester became a place connected to some of the most important and emotional moments of his personal life.
A farewell about more than football
Aké shared his farewell in a video set to the music of Experience by Ludovico Einaudi, giving the message an emotional tone from the start. The defender used the post to thank Manchester City, the fans and the city itself, while also explaining why leaving England is such a difficult moment for him.
Manchester City has been so much more than just a football club to me, Aké said. It has become my home. Alongside the success on the pitch, it is mainly the moments in my personal life that have made this city so special.
It was a message that went beyond the normal language of a transfer farewell. Players often thank a club when they move on, but Aké chose to speak openly about the emotional connection he developed with Manchester during 6 years of his life.
He arrived as a footballer looking to prove himself at one of the strongest clubs in England. He leaves as a player who won almost everything possible, but also as a person who experienced major life events while living in the city.
Aké reflects on personal moments in Manchester
In the same message, Aké spoke about the personal reasons that made Manchester so important to him. He referred to the death of his father, his marriage and the birth of his 2 children as moments that will always connect him to the city.
I lost my father while I was playing here, one of the most difficult moments of my life, Aké said. I got married while playing for this club, and we have been blessed with 2 beautiful children. Manchester will always have a special place in my heart, because so much of my life has taken place here.
Those words gave the farewell a very human feeling. Aké was not only looking back at a successful sporting chapter, but at a period that shaped his life outside the pitch. Manchester was the place where he dealt with grief, celebrated family milestones and grew both professionally and personally.
That is why the departure is emotional. Fenerbahçe now offers him a new challenge, but Manchester remains the city where some of the most important moments of his adult life happened.
A trophy-filled spell at Manchester City
From a football perspective, Aké leaves Manchester City with an impressive record. Across his years at the club, he won 12 trophies and became part of a squad that set new standards under Pep Guardiola.
The highlight was the Champions League triumph, which formed part of the historic treble. That achievement gave City the European success they had been chasing for years and placed that squad among the great teams of modern football.
Aké also won 4 Premier League titles during his time at the club. In a competition as demanding as English football, that level of success reflects the consistency of the team and the strength of the squad. Even when he was not always the headline name, Aké was a reliable and important part of the group.
His value came through his versatility, calmness and tactical intelligence. He could play as a centre-back or on the left side of defence, offering balance to a team that often asked defenders to be comfortable in possession and precise in positioning.
177 matches in sky blue
Aké played 177 matches for Manchester City, a significant figure in a squad where competition for places was always intense. Every season, he had to compete with elite defenders for minutes, while also adapting to tactical demands that left little room for error.
His time at City was not always defined by guaranteed starts, but it was defined by trust. Guardiola often used him in important matches because of his defensive discipline, his ability to read danger and his composure when building from the back.
That made Aké the type of player every elite squad needs. He was not always the loudest figure, but he offered reliability. He could step into different roles without changing the balance of the team, and that made him valuable across long seasons full of domestic and European fixtures.
Supporters also came to appreciate his professionalism. Aké rarely made unnecessary noise, rarely created distraction and always seemed focused on the work. That calm personality was reflected in his farewell, which was measured, grateful and emotional rather than dramatic.
The end of a Manchester chapter
It is never easy to say goodbye to a place that has given you so much, Aké said. But I leave with nothing but gratitude and memories that will last a lifetime. Manchester will always feel like home. Thank you for everything.
That final message summed up the tone of his departure. Aké is not leaving with bitterness or distance. He is leaving with gratitude, after a period that gave him trophies, personal memories and a deep connection to the city.
For Manchester City, his exit is another sign of change after a golden period. Players who helped build and maintain the success of recent years are starting to move on, and Aké now becomes part of that transition.
For Fenerbahçe, the transfer brings in a defender with Premier League experience, Champions League pedigree and a winning mentality. The Turkish club are not only getting a player with technical and defensive quality, but also someone who understands the standards required at the top level.
World Cup involvement before the move
Before completing his move to Turkey, Aké was also active with the Netherlands at the World Cup. He featured against Japan, Tunisia and Morocco, remaining part of the national team picture during the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
His involvement with Oranje showed that he still has an important role to play at international level. Even after a season in which his club minutes were not always as regular as before, Aké remained a trusted option for the Netherlands.
That experience could also be useful at Fenerbahçe. He arrives with rhythm from international football and with the maturity of a player who has spent years in high-pressure environments. At 31, he is not leaving England as a player in decline, but as one seeking a new role and a new challenge.
Fenerbahçe gets a decorated defender
Aké now begins a new phase in Turkey. Fenerbahçe will expect leadership, stability and quality from a player arriving from Manchester City. The standards will be different, but the pressure will still be intense. Fenerbahçe is a club with huge support, major expectations and little patience for underachievement.
For Aké, that creates an interesting challenge. After years inside one of the most successful teams in Europe, he now has the chance to become an important figure in another ambitious club. His experience could be vital both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
He brings the calm of a defender used to big games, the technical background of a player developed in possession-based football and the mentality of someone who has won repeatedly. Those qualities should make him a major addition for the Turkish side.
A goodbye full of gratitude
The emotional tone of the farewell shows how deeply Aké valued his time in Manchester. His message was not only about saying goodbye to teammates, staff and fans. It was about closing a chapter of life.
He arrived in Manchester in 2020 from Bournemouth and leaves after 6 years, 177 matches, 12 trophies and countless personal memories. In that time, he experienced triumph, loss, marriage, fatherhood and some of the biggest nights of his career.
That is why his words carried weight. For Aké, Manchester City was never just a place of work. It became a home, a family setting and a city tied to moments he will carry with him long after his playing career ends.
His next chapter will be written in Turkey with Fenerbahçe, but his Manchester story ends with respect, warmth and gratitude. After 6 successful and emotional years, Nathan Aké leaves Manchester City as a decorated player and as someone who clearly found much more than football in the blue side of Manchester.
