Howe linked with Newcastle reunion with Ake

Newcastle have been linked with a swoop for Manchester City defender Nathan Ake.

90Min report that Howe is eyeing a reunion with three players he worked with at Bournemouth and Ake is one of them.

Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma are the other two, but Howe is keen to improve his central defensive options.

Ake has made just three Premier League appearances this season and reuniting with Howe could appeal to him.

New Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe Press Conference — Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Mutual respect

Howe and Ake have been quoted praising each other in the past during their time at Bournemouth.

In January 2019, Eurosport reported Howe said of Ake: “We love working with him, we think he’s got outstanding attributes, he’s getting better and better in his position.”

For his part, Ake said in November 2016, when he had not long worked with Howe: “He is a bit different to the other managers I’ve had. He works more in training. He always likes to work at 100 per cent, work the players hard.

“He does things tactically very well. I really like him as a manager. He’s a good manager and a good coach. He tries to help and improve the players.”

New Head Coach Eddie Howe Takes Charge of Newcastle United Training — Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images

Linked previously

It might be easy to dismiss these rumours as journalists linking Howe with his former players during the international break.

That may well be the case, but Newcastle were linked with Ake when the takeover was mooted during Steve Bruce’s reign.

The Chronicle reported in October 2020 that Ake was a target for PIF if they had taken over then.

Now, that interest has seemingly sparked up again at a time when Newcastle really need central defensive improvements and Ake is not playing often at the Etihad Stadium.

Transfer News

Howe linked with Newcastle reunion with Ake

Mutual respect

Linked previously