Nathan Ake (born 18 February 1995 in The Hague, Netherlands) is a Dutch professional footballer whose primary position is centre-back, though he is also capable of playing as a left-back. Known for his versatility, technical ability and left-footedness, this defender has played for clubs in England and the Netherlands and represents the Netherlands national football team internationally. As of July 2026, he is a member of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe.

Nathan Ake was born on 18 February 1995 in The Hague, Netherlands. He began his football career at the youth academy of ADO Den Haag, where his talent quickly attracted attention. He later moved to Feyenoord Rotterdam. He progressed rapidly through the youth ranks and was promoted to the senior team, making his professional debut in 2011 at the age of 16 for ADO Den Haag against FC Twente. This appearance made him one of the youngest players ever to feature in the history of the Dutch Eredivisie.

In 2012, he transferred to Chelsea FC of the English Premier League. During his five-year tenure at Chelsea, he was frequently sent out on loan to gain experience. He played for Watford FC, Reading FC and Bournemouth FC during this period. He regularly featured in the starting eleven at these clubs and developed valuable Premier League experience. In 2016, he returned to Chelsea and assumed a greater role in the first team, appearing in 20 matches across all competitions throughout the season. With Chelsea, he won the UEFA Europa League in the 2012–13 season and the English League Cup in the 2014–15 season. He was also named Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season and Watford’s Young Player of the Year for the 2015–16 season while on loan.

In 2017, he joined AFC Bournemouth on a permanent transfer. He quickly established himself as one of the key defenders in the team. Over two seasons, he made 80 appearances across all competitions for Bournemouth and scored four goals. He was named Bournemouth’s Player of the Year by the fans for the 2017–18 season.

In the summer transfer window of 2020, he joined Manchester City FC for a reported transfer fee of 40–41 million pounds (approximately 54.7 million dollars), a sum that made him one of the most expensive defenders in the club’s history. Over his six-year spell at Manchester City, he won a total of 12 major trophies, including one UEFA Champions League and four consecutive Premier League titles, and made 177 appearances across all competitions. The statistical and tactical breakdown of his seasons at the club is as follows:

• 2020–21 Season: He began the season by playing in three of the first four league matches. However, a prolonged hamstring injury kept him out from early November until April, limiting his appearances. He finished the season with 10 Premier League matches, 2 UEFA Champions League matches and 1 League Cup match, scoring one goal. He ended the season with Premier League and League Cup medals.
• 2021–22 Season: Despite recovering from injury, he spent much of the season on the bench due to rotation in the defensive quartet. He made 27 appearances in total (14 Premier League, 6 UEFA Champions League, 5 FA Cup) and scored three goals, netting against RB Leipzig and in both league matches against Leeds United. He ended the season with his second Premier League title.
• 2022–23 Season: After a rotation policy until the turn of the year, he became the regular left-back in the starting eleven. He played 15 consecutive Premier League matches and featured in all UEFA Champions League knockout rounds before suffering an injury. He started in the UEFA Champions League final. He made 41 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals (against Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham), and helped his team win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, completing the Treble. In the summer of 2023, he signed a new four-year contract.
• 2023–24 Season: He had a highly consistent season, aside from a brief calf injury. He made 29 league appearances, the highest number of league games in his Manchester City career. With the arrival of Josko Gvardiol, he was increasingly deployed as a centre-back. He made 44 appearances in total, scoring three goals against Fulham, Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. He ended the season with the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and his fourth consecutive Premier League title.
• 2024–25 Season: After featuring in the Community Shield, he endured three separate injury periods and managed only 10 league appearances. He played two matches in the FIFA Club World Cup and finished the season with 20 appearances overall, without scoring a goal.
• 2025–26 Season: In what was manager Pep Guardiola’s final season at the club, Ake received limited playing time. He made 18 Premier League appearances (six as a starter) and 32 appearances in total across all competitions, 17 of them as a starter. He played in the defensive line during the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, the FA Cup final against Southampton and the Chelsea match in the final, bidding farewell to the club with two major trophies.

In July 2026, Ake transferred to the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. The deal, worth a net payment of 7 million pounds (9 million dollars) with add-ons potentially raising the total to 8.5 million pounds (10.6 million dollars), was signed when the player was 31 years old.

Ake made his senior debut for the Netherlands national team in 2017 in a friendly match against Morocco. Since then, he has been regularly included in the national squad for competitions such as the UEFA Nations League and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He played in the 2019 UEFA Nations League final, which the Netherlands lost to Portugal. Although he participated in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2020, he was not selected for the final tournament due to injury. He also enjoyed success at youth levels, winning the UEFA European Under-17 Championship with the Netherlands U-17 team in both 2011 and 2012. To date, he has made 34 appearances for the senior national team and scored three goals. He featured in three of the four matches played by the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting in two of them. He remained on the pitch until the 71st minute in the round of 32 match against Morocco, which ended in a penalty shootout and marked the end of the Netherlands’ campaign.

Beyond his on-field career, Nathan Ake has been recognized for his social responsibility initiatives, contributing to charities that support children and families in need.

Ake grew up in a family closely connected to football. His father, Moise Ake, played football in the Netherlands and closely followed his son’s career. His brother, Cedric Ake, is also a professional footballer. In his personal life, Nathan Ake married Kaylee Ramman in 2022, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2011. The couple has one daughter.

In terms of financial investments, Ake purchased a mansion in Cheshire, England, in 2020 for 2.6 million pounds. The property, which includes a gym, cinema room, games room, indoor swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, received coverage in the national press. Various estimates as of 2023 place his net worth at approximately 11 million US dollars.