Nathan Aké Rejects Premier League Walkout Procedure Change Proposal

Manchester City defender Nathan Aké has expressed his opposition to the proposed implementation of individual walkouts in the Premier League — a format currently used in the Club World Cup.

Despite his Chelsea teammate Romeo Lavia supporting FIFA’s initiative and calling it “something special”, Aké remains firm in his stance. “Honestly, for the Premier League, we better keep the format we have now,” said the Dutch player.

This statement came after Aké appeared in City’s 2-0 victory over Wydad AC in Philadelphia — a match marking the team’s start in the Club World Cup campaign. Last season was a difficult period for the 30-year-old player — injuries limited him to just 10 league appearances.

Manager Pep Guardiola has indicated his preference for durable players after his team was plagued by injuries last season. “I feel good now. This is my first full match after a long time, and certainly there’s still room for improvement,” Aké added.

“Last season was very difficult, I always tried to push myself, tried to come back as quickly as possible. Then I got injured again and mentally it was tough. Fortunately, that’s over now and hopefully I can stay fit and keep performing well.”