Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has opened up about the future of defender Nathan Ake, admitting uncertainty over whether the Dutch international will remain at the Etihad this summer.

Now 31 years old, Ake has spent six seasons with the Premier League champions. But with his contract set to expire next summer, the clock may be ticking on his time in Manchester. When pressed on the defender's future, Guardiola was candid: "He has a contract for one more year with us, right? I wish he'd stay with us. I wish he'd stay with us, but I don't know what's going to happen."

The situation is complicated by a growing logjam at centre-back. With the emergence of Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi as a formidable pairing, and first-choice duo Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol still working their way back from injury, Guardiola suddenly has an abundance of options. Add Ake, along with youngsters Max Alleyne and Vitor Reis (returning from a loan spell at Girona), and City are looking at eight players competing for two starting spots.

While squad depth is valuable in a grueling season, having eight centre-backs is unsustainable—especially under Guardiola, who prefers leaner squads. Multiple departures are expected this summer, and John Stones' exit has already been confirmed. Given Ake's similar injury struggles, he could be next through the door.

The Dutchman has made just five league starts this season, failing to reach double figures for the second consecutive campaign. Yet despite the fitness concerns, Guardiola holds him in the highest regard.

"Listen, Nathan is maybe sometimes not reliable in physicality," Guardiola admitted. "But there are few players more reliable when they play than him. With the job he has to do, in terms of what he has to do with the ball and without the ball, in terms of focus, Nathan is one of the best I've ever seen. He's just unbelievable. The problem is sometimes, when it's every three days, three days, three days, he struggles."

For a player who has been a dependable figure in big moments—including the Champions League final—Ake's future remains one of the more intriguing storylines of City's summer rebuild. Whether he stays or goes, his manager's respect for him is unmistakable.